Study: No Amount Of Drinking Alcohol Is Safe For Brain Health

June 1, 2021: Originally published in Forbes.

An Oxford University study is causing a stir in the drinks community for its findings about the impact of drinking on brain health. In short: No amount of drinking alcohol is safe for brain function, according to brain imaging data.

The observational study, published May 12, is not yet peer-reviewed; it is based on a cohort of over 25,000 British participants with an average age of 54. Brain scans were performed to measure the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and brain health. The study was conducted by researchers with expertise in population health, psychiatry, and clinical neuroscience.

The researchers began with the premise that “moderate alcohol consumption is common and often viewed as harmless to brain health.” Researchers performed brain imaging using identical scanners on subjects. They found that alcohol consumption tracked with decreases in brain grey matter as well as white matter. Binge drinking alcohol posed additional negative effects on brain structure, in addition to the impact of the volume of alcohol consumed.

Respondents were separated in groups of “never drinkers,” “former drinkers” and “current drinkers.” Brain scans on identical machines tracked changes in brain volume and matter.

Researchers did not find any difference on the impact of drinking between types of liquor, such as wine versus beer or spirits. Researchers addressed the popular notion that wine is considered healthier than liquor. “We found no evidence to suggest alcoholic beverage type confers differences in risks to the brain,” researchers write. “This supports the hypothesis that it is ethanol itself, rather than other compounds in the beverage, that is on the biological pathway to damage. The associations of wine-drinking with higher educational level and socioeconomic status may explain the apparent health benefits.”

The impact of alcohol on overall health and the immune system has been top of mind for many recently, as more people wonder whether they can drink safely after getting a COVID vaccine. The short answer is yes, the FDA and the CDC don’t carry warnings about mixing liquor with vaccines. That said, the question gained currency after health officials noted that some studies show that heavy amounts of alcohol can suppress the immune system.

According the Oxford University researchers, several questions remain. They did not establish the threshold of when alcohol intake causes harm, or the impact of moderate drinking on brain connectivity. They speculate that drinking patterns, such as binge drinking, may worsen the impact of drinking on the brain but they do not have the data to support it.

Their conclusions, however, were quite clear.

“No safe dose of alcohol for the brain was found,” researchers write. “Moderate consumption is associated with more widespread adverse effects on the brain than previously recognized.” Researchers advise that existing “low risk” drinking guidelines should be revised to warn the public about the impact of brain effects.