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When it comes to our memory and cognition, what we eat matters. While certain foods and drinks canbolster brain health—we’re looking at you leafy greens and salmon—others may harm it. Among all the beverages out there, there’s one that stands out that experts advise limiting specifically to improve your memory, and that’s alcohol.
Keep reading to learn about the brain-boosting perks of embracing Mocktail Monday, and how to start reducing your alcohol consumption.
MIND Diet: Best Foods to Eat to Keep Your Brain Young
The Impact of Alcohol on Memory
TheCenters for Disease Control and Preventiondefines moderate drinking as two drinksor lessper day for men and one drinkor lessper day for women. Consuming 15 or more drinks per week for men and 8 or more drinks per week for women is defined as heavy drinking.
You may enjoy alcohol at a holiday party, weekend sporting event or alongside dinner. When you consume alcohol in low to moderate amounts, occasional imbibing can be a part of a balanced lifestyle. On the other hand, overdoing it can lead to harmful consequences, especially for your memory.
Alcohol crosses the blood-brain barrier, affecting several parts of the brain including the prefrontal cortex (which, among many functions, governs decision-making), corpus callosum (a highway that allows one side of the brain to communicate with the other) and hippocampus (an area of the brain involved in learning and memory), describes a 2019 study inFrontiers in Neuroscience. In the short term, this may cause lowered judgment and slowed reaction time, among other effects. Too much alcohol can also impair your brain’s ability to move the events of the night into its long-term storage. That’s the origin of a “blackout,” which occurs during heavy drinking episodes, and why you can’t recall what happened when intoxicated, according to theNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Over the long term, imbibing more than 7 drinks or 14 drinks per week (for women and men, respectively) can have a lasting impact on your ability to learn and form memories. Heavy drinkers have a higher risk of developing dementia and reduction in brain volume, and they demonstrate signs of brain damage, according to a 2020 review inNeuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
What the Research Shows
Several studies have looked into the impact of alcohol on memory—and the news is not good. For example, a 2022 research study published inNature Communicationsanalyzed imaging data from more than 36,000 healthy adults. The authors found that heavy drinking could significantly reduce the brain’s white and gray matter, which are crucial for clear thinking and processing information efficiently.
Not only that, but alcohol is inflammatory for your brain, concludes research in 2020 in the journalAlcohol. This inflammation “impairs cognitive abilities, making it difficult for your brain to function effectively and think clearly,” says Miami-basedSu-Nui Escobar, a registered dietitian nutritionist and doctor in clinical nutrition.
Decreasing drinking can also bolster your overall well-being, saysUmo Callins, M.S., RD, owner of Well Rooted Health and Nutrition in Oklahoma City. She points to a 2022 review inHarm Reduction Journalthat found that people who gave up alcohol for one month (or at leasttried to) said their sleep got better, their health improved and some lost weight, too.
Steps to Take to Drink Less
Whether you’re sober curious, going dry for the month or trying to cut back, it can be challenging to drink less, especially in social situations. Here are some practical tips for teetotaling:
The Bottom Line
Alcohol has been shown to cause inflammation in the brain, impair cognitive processing and dampen your memory. On the flip side, research shows limiting alcohol can have promising effects on your brain health. If you’re looking for one powerful change you can make to bolster your cognitive powers, limit alcohol. And you don’t have to resign yourself to water, either. Thanks to the sober-curious movement, there are a growing number of nonalcoholic alternatives to sip at the next happy hour, party or dinner out. You can wake up in the morning with a clear mind, too.
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