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Recent research found that individuals who are drinking within the recommended alcohol limit have higher levels of iron in the brain than those who don’t drink alcohol. The research published in the PLOS Medicine Journal suggests that those who drink more than seven units per week are associated with high levels of iron, which is associated with decreased cognitive capabilities. This research highlights that individuals do not have to be living with a fully-fledged addiction to see negative health impacts for their body.
Recommended Alcohol Consumption
In the UK there are guidelines for keeping health risks due to alcohol at low levels. These guidelines were produced by the UK Chief Medical Officer and are in a comprehensive manual which details information and advice for drinking safely. The key points refer to the amount of alcohol which should not be exceeded per week to keep risks low, and how to reduce the chances of problem drinking.
- Adults are advised to drink only 14 units or less per week.
- Spread these units across 3 or more days – avoid binge drinking. Binge drinking is approximately drinking 5 or more drinks (men), or 4 or more drinks (women), in 2 hours.
- If you are looking to reduce, aim for a number of alcohol-free days a week.
As a benchmark, 14 units of alcohol is equivalent to 6 pints of 4% beer, or 10 glasses of 11% wine.
Alcohol and Decreased Cognition
Alcohol impacts health in a number of ways, both physically and psychologically. It is widely understood that alcohol has severe impacts on liver and heart health, and in excess can severely damage mental health and increase risks at work. This study, however, adds insight to some lesser known effects of alcohol – and, crucially, at lower levels of consumption.
The study, which was spearheaded by Anya Topiwala, and her research group at Oxford University, incorporated data from 20,965 people in the UK. The research was conducted throughout the UK Biobank – a long-term data collection study in the UK aiming to understand how genes and environment impact the development of disease. The average age of participants in this particular study was 55, with just under half (48.6%) women.
The research method was through self-reporting; individuals first had to clarify whether they were current, previous, or non-drinkers. If they currently consume alcohol, they report their weekly consumption via an online questionnaire.
On average, individuals in the study were consuming 18 units a week, which equates to 6 large glasses of wine or 7-8 cans of beer and is over the recommended guidelines.
Participants also took part in an MRI to look at the makeup of their brains and to measure the level of iron. A percentage of the participants (7,000 individuals) also had an MRI of their liver to record the levels of iron there too.
The results showed that those who consumed upwards of seven units of alcohol per week were found with higher levels of iron in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain associated with motor control, motor learning, behaviours, eye movement, and emotions.
Participants were then tested in cognitive and motor function, and it was found that higher levels of iron correlated to reduced cognitive function.
This research found no evidence of harm from drinking less than 7 units of alcohol a week, just less than 2 large glasses of wine per week.
This study could pave the way for further research on how levels of alcohol previously considered ‘safe’ could in fact be damaging, and furthermore, how we could find some treatment methods for the harm inflicted by alcohol.
Am I At Risk?
Alcohol is a commonly accepted substance in the UK, and it’s easy to obtain and cheap to buy. This can lead to a false misconception that it is less harmful than other drugs. In the UK alone, there were 8,974 deaths associated with alcohol-related causes registered in 2020.
For many people, tracking how much they drink is not a habit; without knowing how much you are drinking, it’s impossible to know the true impacts it may be having now and down the line. WHO (World Health Organisation) developed a tool which has been adopted by Drinkaware to assess the level and way in which you drink and deduce the level of risk. This tool asks a number of questions which can be used to reflect your patterns of consumption and identify problem drinking.
One of the important elements it highlights is that simply because you are not getting drunk, doesn’t mean your drinking is safe. In fact, people who drink regularly may build up a tolerance whereby they need higher levels of alcohol to feel the effects. An increased tolerance is actually one of the early signs of alcohol dependence. Additional symptoms include shaking, sweating, nausea and being consumed with thoughts of drinking alcohol.
Reducing the Health Impacts of Alcohol
Although this study is just the first of what will hopefully be more intricate research, it is a helpful indicator of the impacts of alcohol. In the meantime, ahead of further studies, there are ways we can reduce the damage of alcohol in our homes and in the community.
The first step to reducing harm is understanding your personal consumption levels. Drinkaware has published the WHO alcohol tracker tool which can help identify problem levels of consumption.
There are a number of tactics for reducing the risks associated with drinking; choosing specific days to drink (2-3 per week), and spreading these through the week can be beneficial. When drinking, don’t drink to the point of being intoxicated. This can be supported by drinking alcohol with a meal rather than alone or on an empty stomach.
Know When To Seek Help
The important thing to remember is, alcohol dependence can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or background. Alcohol should not interfere with your daily life and relationships. If you are concerned about your own drinking, or that of a friend, seek medical advice and guidance.
