But is having that glass of wine after dinner really putting you at risk for neural loss?
Even heavy binge drinking and long-term alcohol abuse don’t result in the actual death of brain cells.
Instead, alcohol damages the dendrites in the cerebellum and impai the communication between neurons.
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Studies involving rats found that halting alcohol intakeeven after chronic abuseallows the brain to heal itself.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to various forms of alcohol dementia.
The syndrome is characterized by memory problems, amnesia, and lack of muscle coordination.
Until fairly recently, many experts believed that adults were not able to grow new neurons in the brain.
Obviously, this does not mean that people should ignore the potential dangers of alcohol.
What Is the Hippocampus?
The hippocampus plays a crucial part in learning and memory.
Its complex, delicate structure is vulnerable to damage.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is a brain disease that’s due to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.
Causes include alcohol misuse, poor diet, chemotherapy, and eating disorders.
Signs and symptoms include confusion, poor eyesight, hypothermia, hypotension, and lack of coordination.
Whether red wine is good for you is still a topic of debate among researchers.
Resveratrol supplements show no appreciable benefits in humans.
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Recovery of neurocognitive functions following sustained abstinence after substance dependence and implications for treatment.Clinical Psychology Review.
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DOI:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.08.002
Alcohol and the brain: An overview.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
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Jensen, G. B., & Pakkenberg, B.
Do Alcoholics Drink Their Neurons Away?The Lancet, 342(8881), 1201-1204.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Alcohol’s Damaging Effects on the Brain.Alcohol Alert, 63.
Nixon, K. and Crews, F. (2004).
