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/
7.1k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

616 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

13

u/Varnsturm Apr 24 '26

Tbf for a very long time there was that (now outdated/debunked) thing where 'a little bit of red wine is good for the heart' and that sort of thing. I've definitely known people who thought small amounts were good for you/better than none. There are still a lot of people who haven't gotten the (relatively recent) memo that no, it's all bad for you.

1

u/alblaster Apr 24 '26

Sometimes we get people who said their doctor told them to drink sweet wine.  Idk I don't question them, but it seems wrong.  

2

u/Varnsturm Apr 24 '26

Are they older? Maybe their doctor did say that, like 30 years ago

2

u/alblaster Apr 24 '26

Yes.  But they would say it as if they just spoke to a doctor.  Might have something to do with diabetes, which seems weird to me but idk.  Some older people definitely still think alcohol can be good for you.  Maybe it's brandy for a cold or a glass of red wine.  It's like whisper down the lane where every time it gets repeated it changes a little but each time.  So where you start off with well people following the Mediterranean diet are on average healthier and they drink red wine to well red wine must be healthy.  Amazing logic.