A British study, the results of which were published earlier this year, indicates that moderate and heavy drinking, compared to abstainers, increases the risk of atrophy of the hippocampus - a brain structure responsible for, among other things, cognitive function, memory and forming ideas about the future. The results of this study may significantly challenge the widely accepted view that small amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, may have health-promoting properties.
"To drink or not to drink? That is the question."
Hippocampus (Amon's horn) - a structure belonging to the limbic system that is mainly responsible for memory. It is located in the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex. It plays a major role in transferring information from short-term to long-term memory. Thanks to it, we are able to perceive spatial figures, observe and analyse three-dimensional objects. The hippocampus is often referred to as the 'heart of the brain', as it has connections to many other brain structures and thus influences the functioning of other brain regions. It is believed to be responsible for the mechanisms of associations and ideas about the future. Therefore, some people with damage to the hippocampus, in addition to episodic (momentary) memory disorders, may also have problems forming coherent imaginations and creating meaningful future events. This structure is still not fully understood and research into its function and structure is increasing. It has been shown that certain factors can negatively affect the function of the hippocampus and even lead to its damage. These factors include stress, glucocorticosteroids and alcohol. Hippocampal dysfunction is observed in many disease entities: schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2017 found that moderate and heavy drinking, compared to abstinence, over a 30-year period increased the risk of hippocampal atrophy and impaired verbal fluency. The study included 527 UK adults (mean age 43 years, 80% male), conducted between 1985 and 2015. The study group was divided according to alcohol intake (between 1 and 21 standard servings of alcohol per week, 1 standard serving of alcohol is 8 g or 10 ml of ethanol). The control group consisted of abstainers. An increased risk of right hippocampal atrophy was observed with consumption of more than 14 standard portions of alcohol/week. An increased risk of left hippocampal atrophy was observed with more than 30 standard portions of alcohol/week. This study also proved that increased alcohol consumption was associated with a decline in verbal fluency and word recall ability. There was no protective effect of small amounts of alcohol consumption on the risk of hippocampal atrophy and cognitive decline (less than 7 servings of alcohol/week).
For many years, the view has been advocated that regular consumption of small amounts of alcohol has health benefits
Particularly in cardiology, the positive effects of small doses of alcohol, especially red wine, are reported. The belief that the consumption of wine in combination with a Mediterranean diet has health-promoting properties is quite widespread. Such behaviour is said to prolong life. However, a great deal of attention is now focused not only on the length of life, but above all on its quality. Quality of life consists not only of physical health (our well-being, lack of discomfort, mobility, vitality) but also of mental health (mood, emotionality, drive, among others). A big influence on our mental health is the central nervous system. Some of its components play a greater role in the mechanisms for maintaining mental health, such as the limbic system, of which the hippocampus is a part.
A study on such a large group, using modern methods of imaging brain structures and long-term follow-up and, above all, results that unequivocally show the adverse effects of regular drinking of small amounts of alcohol on brain structure as well as brain function brings a significant voice to the discussion on the health-promoting properties of small doses of alcohol. However, when analysing the results of this study, it should be approached with a degree of caution and criticism. The UK population is a fairly specific group with a specific drinking pattern. There is a predominance of consumption of alcohols such as beer, whisky over red wine, which is seen to have health-promoting properties (e.g. cardioprotective effects). It is important to realise that different alcohols have different levels of neurotoxicity (damage to brain tissue). It is presumed that more concentrated alcohols are more dangerous and can damage the nervous system more significantly. In addition, the content of other compounds in liquor, such as methanol, aliphatic compounds, which may damage the brain more significantly than alcohol alone, is important. The reliability of reporting the regularity of alcohol consumed by respondents may also be questionable. One may also wonder about the method of studying hippocampal atrophy. A single neuroimaging of the brain may not be sufficient to determine the dynamics of change and relate it to the amount of alcohol consumption. On the other hand, the results strongly support the conclusion that alcohol as a toxic compound on many organs of our body has an adverse effect rather than protective properties. The present study is a major milestone in understanding the effect of regular alcohol consumption on our brain function.
