How Does Alcohol Impact Our Brain and Body?

You may be aware that this month is ‘Go Sober for October’ which is an awareness month to help raise money for Macmillan Cancer charity. The aim for those participating is to not touch alcohol for the month, which sparked me to write this blog about alcohol.

I assure you the intention of this blog is not to make you feel shame or guilt if you enjoy a drink. However, I do feel that the impacts of alcohol are often glossed over because it is such a big part of our social scene, so I share this information to raise awareness which will hopefully allow you to make more of an informed decision when choosing what to drink. I also share some tips along the way that I have incorporated in my own life, which help me if I am craving a cool drink but want to avoid alcohol, or if I have had a drink and want to support my body.

I’m sure you are aware that alcohol is not the best thing for us and I am certainly not sat here writing this pretending that I’ve never had a glass or three. To be honest, up until the last couple of years, alcohol has been a big part of my social life and drinking quite heavily over the weekend was the norm, and this would often lead to one or two drinks during the week too.

However, over the last couple of years, I started to become more aware of my body and how certain foods and drinks made me feel. When it came to alcohol, it was not just the day after, with the fuzzy head and lack of motivation that impacted me, but whilst I was drinking too. I would notice my moods start to change, and when attempting to sleep that night it would become very frustrating because it was broken and I would often wake up overheating.

The more I started to learn about alcohol and the impact it was having on my body at the time, the less inclined I have been to want to drink it.

When researching this topic, I used information gathered by Dr Amen who is the author of the book, ‘The End of Mental Illness’. One of the things he mentioned that really hit it home was when he asked the question why medical staff rub alcohol on our skin before inserting a needle, or why we use alcohol-based gels to clean our hands? Because it kills the bacteria. This really made me realise the potential implications alcohol has on our gut and body in general.

So what does alcohol do?

When we drink alcohol it is easily absorbable into our body because it is a small molecule, which means that it can easily cross membrane barriers and reach different parts of our body quickly. One of the areas it has a big impact on is our brain, one of the key components of our nervous system.

Alcohol actually causes our brain tissue to shrink, and it has been shown that people who drink every day have smaller brains, which really isn’t great when it is the organ that is controlling our body. This can not only impact our memory and cognitive ability, but also alters our neurotransmitters, which are the communication network between cells, along with our hormonal systems, which have been shown to impact mood and anxiety disorders.

It has also been suggested that in comparison to nondrinkers or light drinkers, moderate to heavy drinkers increase their risk of dementia by 57 per cent and develop it earlier. That is quite a scary statistic.

If you have ever had one too many drinks and started to feel a little wobbly, it is because it lowers our blood flow to a part of our brain called the cerebellum. This amazing part of our brain is associated with physical movement, and therefore it makes us less coordinated. It also reduces our judgement and decision making skills and increases those cravings, which explains why I used to be able to eat a large pizza in one go after a night out and still be hungry! This then has a ripple effect into the next day, as those cravings often still exist, which means our food choices are often poor and we overeat. We are then less inclined to exercise, and the cycle continues.

When we drink alcohol, our liver also works hard because its aim is to break alcohol down. However, when it is in excess, it works overtime and can end up causing damage long term.

So what can we do?

Well, less is more and ideally not drinking alcohol is the best thing for your body. However, if you do want to enjoy a drink, here are some things you can do proactively to help reduce the impact:

Drink in moderation:

• We have all heard this, but it can be easy to get carried away once the wine starts flowing. Before going out (or staying in), make a plan. If you are going to have two glasses of wine, stick to it and then move on to an alternative non-alcoholic drink.

If you’d like to calculate your current consumption using an online calculator, click here. (insert hyperlink https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/alcoholic-drinks-and-units/low-risk-drinking-guidelines)

• Help to support and detoxify your liver:
• Incorporating vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower can help to detoxify your liver.
• Vitamin C supplement – 1000mg twice a day is also great for our liver and immune system.

Hydrate:

• Alcohol is a diuretic so makes you expel water. Ensure you hydrate before, during and after drinking alcohol. Something I try and do is if I have a glass of alcohol, I have a glass of water to match it.

Eat food:

• Eating nutritious vegetables like the ones suggested along with protein before or whilst having a drink will help your body be able to cope with the processing of the alcohol.

Try alternative drinks:

• If I am craving a glass of fizz but don’t want the alcohol, I have started to choose a light tonic with fresh lime instead. This still feels like a treat, however, it doesn’t contain the alcohol or sugars so it is less tempting to want more.

I hope that helps. Like anything, awareness is key and making small positive changes to our daily habits can really make a big impact long term.

With love,
Sarah

References:

Amen, D. The End Of Mental Illness. 2013. Tyndale. USA. P.183 – 199.

Mukherjee S. Alcoholism and its effects on the central nervous system. Curr Neurovasc Res. 2013 Aug;10(3):256-62. doi: 10.2174/15672026113109990004. PMID: 23713737.