I am not entirely sure
that the conclusions are fully warranted, but it clear that sustaining high
level brain function and chronic beer consumption are seriously contra
indicated. The more serious problem is
all this is also tied into our social behavior and sexual protocols. So it is not a case of simply changing habits
for the majority of people.
The clear point in all
this is that three pints or three glasses are a bit too much. I would like to understand if we can find a threshold
in this that may allow one glass per session for the known benefits. It could even be as convenient as one glass
or pint with each significant meal.
For now this is a
powerful caution to discover how to discipline your drinking. I have found that it is possible to grind
though a pint of Guinness or a glass of wine by slow sipping for a whole
evening or meal. The key is strong
flavor.
Just three pints of
beer a week can dull your brain by 20% and make it harder to react to stimulus
Drinking
beer and wine regularly permanently inhibits concentration
Research
showed that binge drinking affected both attention and memory
PUBLISHED: 21:11
GMT, 6 July 2013 | UPDATED: 21:11 GMT, 6 July 2013
Drinking
three pints of beer – or three medium-sized glasses of wine – once a week
permanently dulls the brain, according to a study.
Researchers
discovered that regular drinkers have to use almost 20 per cent more
brain-power than normal to carry out simple tasks and find it progressively
more difficult to concentrate.
The
three-year study at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain compared
26 ‘binge-drinking’ students – those who regularly drank a minimum of six units
of alcohol, or around three pints, in one sitting at least once a week – with
31 others who did not regularly drink as much.
Mine's
a pint: Research showed that heavy drinkers' brains had to work harder to
achieve the same result as those who do not regularly drink
Later, when sober, the students were asked to react to different flashing symbols.
There was no measurable difference in speed or accuracy of response between the two groups, and no deterioration over time.
However,
brain-power measurements showed that ‘binge-drinkers’ had to work
harder to achieve the same result.
Risks:
Drinking beer regularly permanently dulls brain function
With the more sober group, peak brain activity stayed at about 18 microvolts while the drinkers started at 20 microvolts in their first year and went up to 22 microvolts in their third year.
It
suggests that young drinkers ‘experience anomalies in neural activity’ involved
with attention and working memory, the researchers wrote in the journal Alcohol
and Alcoholism.
Emily Robinson, director of the campaign group Alcohol Concern, said: ‘This shows why we need to change the culture where it’s seen as the norm to drink excessively at university.
Risk:
Too many alcoholic drinks can affect concentration as well as organ function
‘Binge-drinking
carries lots of risks in terms of the immediate safety of students, but also in
terms of their future health and the likelihood of developing an alcohol
problem later in life.’
But Paul McCormack, of Oxford Brookes University Students’ Union, said: ‘Learning at university is not limited to the classroom.
'While
having a few drinks on a regular basis may dull your senses slightly, the gains
far outweigh the disadvantages.’
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