- A new study confirms that even moderate alcohol consumption (seven drinks per week) increases the risk of brain lesions linked to dementia, challenging the notion that light drinking is harmless. Heavy drinking (more than eight drinks weekly) raises the risk by 133 percent.
- Researchers identified two key markers of brain damage caused by drinking, namely, tau tangles (linked to Alzheimer’s) and hardened blood vessels in brain tissue, which impair blood flow and contribute to cognitive decline.
- Heavy drinkers lived 13 years shorter on average, often avoiding chronic diseases like hypertension and stroke simply because they died early.
- The study’s definition of heavy drinking (eight drinks/week) is conservative: top U.S. drinkers average 74 drinks weekly, suggesting real-world risks are even higher.
- Alcohol’s historical “health benefits” myths (e.g., red wine for heart health) are debunked. Experts now recommend reducing intake, tracking consumption and recognizing dependency signs, as alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer and dementia.
For decades, public health officials have debated whether moderate alcohol consumption is harmless or even beneficial. But a groundbreaking new study confirms what skeptics have long suspected: No amount of alcohol is safe for the brain.
In a paper published in Neurology, researchers from the University of Sao Paulo Medical School found that even seven drinks per week – long considered “moderate” drinking – significantly raises the risk of brain lesions linked to dementia. Heavy drinkers face even starker consequences, dying an average of 13 years earlier than abstainers.
The study examined brain tissue from autopsies of 1,781 individuals, averaging 75 years old at death. Researchers identified two key markers of brain damage: tau tangles (abnormal protein clumps tied to Alzheimer’s) and hyaline arteriolosclerosis (a hardening of small blood vessels that restricts blood flow, leading to brain lesions.)
Heavy drinkers (eight or more drinks weekly) were 133 percent more likely to have these lesions than nondrinkers. Even moderate drinkers (seven or fewer drinks) faced 60 percent higher odds, challenging the myth that light drinking is harmless. (Related: Moderate Alcohol Consumption Shrinks Brain.)
“Drink moderately” no longer safe
The study’s threshold for “heavy drinking” – eight drinks weekly – is conservative. U.S. guidelines define it as more than 15 drinks per week for men, and surveys show the top 10 percent of American drinkers consume 74 drinks weekly — over 10 per day. “The real-world risk is likely higher,” noted Dr. Mollie Monnig of Brown University, who was not involved in the study.
Alcohol consumption has been culturally ingrained in humans, from medieval Europe’s beer-as-sustenance to the 1990s push for red wine’s heart benefits. But modern science has dismantled these myths. Earlier this year, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for alcohol warning labels, citing its role as the third-leading preventable cause of cancer.
The study underscores that reducing alcohol intake lowers risk. Experts recommend the following methods to cut down on booze:
- Tracking daily consumption
- Taking breaks to assess alcohol’s impact
- Alternating alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks
- Recognizing signs of dependency, like failed attempts to cut back
This research adds to mounting evidence that alcohol, once celebrated, is a silent destroyer of health. With dementia rates rising and lifespans shortening, the message is clear: The era of alcohol as a “harmless indulgence” is over, and no level of drinking is safe for the brain.
Head over to BrainDamaged.news for more similar stories. Watch former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy arguing that alcoholic drinks should have cancer warning labels in this clip.
This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stores:
- Excessive alcohol intake damages your brain.
- Alcohol abuse leads to cancer, strokes, heart disease, brain damage.
- Neurologists examine what happens in your brain when you experience an alcohol-induced blackout.
- That’s enough alcohol: Study findings warn that drinking alcohol daily is linked to greater stroke risk.
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Why One Survival Food Company Shines Above the Rest
Let’s be real. “Prepper Food” or “Survival Food” is generally awful. The vast majority of companies that push their cans, bags, or buckets desperately hope that their customers never try them and stick them in the closet or pantry instead. Why? Because if the first time they try them is after the crap hits the fan, they’ll be too shaken to call and complain about the quality.
It’s true. Most long-term storage food is made with the cheapest possible ingredients with limited taste and even less nutritional value. This is why they tout calories so much. Sure, they provide calories but does anyone really want to go into the apocalypse with food their family can’t stand?
This is what prompted the Llewellyns to launch Heaven’s Harvest. They bought survival food from multiple companies and determined they couldn’t imagine being stuck in an extended emergency with such low-quality food. They quickly discovered that freeze drying food for long-term storage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, consistency, or nutrition.
Their ingredients are all-American. In fact, they’re locally sourced and all-natural! This allows their products to be the highest quality on the market, so good that their customers often break open a bag in a pinch to eat because they want to, not just because they have to due to an emergency.
At Heaven’s Harvest, their only focus is amazing food. They don’t sell bugout bags, solar chargers, or multitools. They have one mission – feeding Americans in times of crisis.
What they DO offer is the ability for people to thrive in times of greatest need. On top of long-term storage food, they offer seeds to help Americans for the truly long-term. They want them to grow their own food if possible which is why they offer only Heirloom, Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid, Open-Pollinated seeds so their customers can build permanent food security on their own property.
