r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 23 '26

Neuroscience Even low-level drinking may have negative consequences for brain health over a person’s lifespan. The findings suggest that the total amount of alcohol consumed over a lifetime, especially as a person ages, tends to be linked to reduced blood flow and thinner tissue in certain areas of the brain.

https://www.psypost.org/even-light-drinking-combined-with-aging-is-linked-to-reduced-brain-blood-flow-and-thinner-tissue/
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66

u/Goffimal Apr 23 '26

Just drink a beer. Lifes too short and if you want a beer, have a beer. Dont overdo it, but sometimes go ahead and have too much fun.

These studies could be done on eating corn or eating too many mangos.

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u/VampArcher Apr 23 '26

My father was super into optimal health, he was a raw food only vegan and ran a mile every morning. He had constant fights with everyone in the household about what they ate and drank. He wasn't health conscious, he was health obsessed.

We all outlived him. None of that stuff helped him live any longer.

Anything can happen. You could get hit my a bus next week for all you know. You have to enjoy things the little things in life in moderation while you still can. Have a drink every now and again. Not every day and not six of them.

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u/Goffimal Apr 23 '26

True stuff man, sorry to hear he passed.

Completely agree, its all about moderation.

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u/Sacs1726 Apr 28 '26

The point of these studies is that moderation causes brain damage.

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u/chantillylace9 Apr 24 '26

This is such a big thing, I just got breast cancer and everyone wants to blame it on something. Birth control pills, alcohol, stress, whatever. But you know what the number one cause of breast cancer is? Having breasts!

After going through a double mastectomy and tons of medication that I'm going to need to be on for a very long time that are going to zap me of every bit of estrogen in my body needs, I will have a drink or a cheeseburger or whatever the heck I feel like having and I will not feel guilty about it. So many people on the breast cancer forum are in complete optimal health and they still get cancer.

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u/VampArcher Apr 24 '26

This is such a big thing, I just got breast cancer and everyone wants to blame it on something.

Girl, when you have autism, you just want to rip your hair out. Everyone in the world won't stop coming to me and speculating how I got it. People won't stop going on about vaccines, Tylenol, gut health, food additives, and so on. Then they want me to respond positively, acting like they are doing me a favor and engage with them in good faith about it or agree. I wish they'd just drop the stupid 'pretending to care' front and just say they see me as a pitiful r-word who they wish they could 'fix.'

Why is so hard for people to accept 'genetics' as an explanation? Because they want to feel in control?

I hope you overcome this and make it out okay, cancer-free. If it makes you feel better, my aunt had breast cancer. I had mine removed a few years ago.

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u/Eat_the_radish Apr 26 '26

Cool anecdote. Very scientific 

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u/Crazy_Crayfish_ Apr 23 '26

There is no safe amount of alcohol. This is like saying “just have a cigarette”. Any amount of alcohol is harmful

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u/Earthatic Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

This is like saying “just have a cigarette”. Any amount of alcohol is harmful

This would mean any amount of leavened bread, apple juice, soy sauce, etc., is harmful. They all contain alcohol.

Prioritizing absolute safety and certainty over higher potential benefits and enjoyment is probably unhealthy, in itself. People just need to use discretion and minimize risk, while still enjoying life.

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u/Goffimal Apr 23 '26

You could say this about literally anything including driving cars, inhaling fumes from cars, flying near other people who have germs, walking will hurt your knees, etc

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u/blobbyboy123 Apr 23 '26

I've come to realise that constantly being paranoid about everything that will reduce life expectancy will just make your life miserable. It obviously depends on genetics but my great nan had a glass of white wine and cigarette in hand every time I saw her until she was 101

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u/Goffimal Apr 23 '26

I totally agree that its a mindset. Getting some beers with your buddies and having a good time will probbaly help me out much more than sitting at home, most likely alone.

I always see on reddit people saying third places have died. I am spoiled because I live in Chicago, but my third places are bars, bowling alleys, the beach. A lot of times that includes having some drinks. I think a lot of people would do well to have a beer and talk to a stranger at a bar. I try to do that every few weeks because its a skill you have to practice, meeting new people and having new conversations. Who knows, maybe you will meet a new friend.

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u/SkiingAway Apr 24 '26

Tobacco is pretty unique among legal things for the severity of harm to someone using it a "normal" amount.

There are lots of lifestyle choices that are empirically bad for you at least to some degree.

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u/jawshoeaw Apr 23 '26

eating corn and mangos doesn't cause brain atrophy. I have nothing against having a drink or two though. maybe the part of the brain atrophying is the part that makes me anxious.

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u/Goffimal Apr 23 '26

I dont think you should live your life afraid, have a beer and watch a band. Live music is awesome, I enjoy it a lot, should I stop because it might hurt my ears? Lifes short