Oxford Study: Alcohol harms our memory more than thought
Drinking alcohol is normal with us? and sometimes even socially desirable. The risks are often suppressed or downplayed. But when is the consumption of alcohol really harmful?
The experts disagree and the recommended limits vary considerably from country to country. While for women in Germany the limit is 12 grams of alcohol per day, the limit for safe drinking has been set at 70 grams per day in some regions of Spain. 12 grams of alcohol are about 0.25 liters of beer or 0.15 liters of wine.
Cell degradation in the hippocampus
A study from the University of Oxford has now shown that even small amounts of alcohol could damage the brain and especially the memory.
For the study, 550 men and women were studied for 30 years for cognitive performance. The subjects were on average 43 years old and had to state how much alcohol they drink each week. During the study and at the end, their brains were examined by magnetic resonance imaging.
Even the brains of the "moderate drinker" suffer
The result: who had drunk more than 240 grams of alcohol per week, had the greatest risk that break down the nerve cells in the hippocampus. This brain region is important for memory, feelings, spatial orientation and language competence. But also subjects who drank only half as much alcohol? so "moderate drinkers" - showed three times as fast cell degradation in the hippocampus as abstainers.
Thus, the British researchers provide another good argument for not drinking alcohol too carefully and without restraint.
Test: You want to know if you drink too much? And if your alcohol consumption is already questionable? Here you can do the test: Do I drink too much?
