What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health

[Wales-Bales]

An interesting presentation from Andrew D. Huberman, an American neuroscientist and associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health/

[Wales-Bales]

The video:


https://youtu.be/DkS1pkKpILY

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

It's basically poison ?

[Lither_1927]

An interesting presentation from Andrew D. Huberman, an American neuroscientist and associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health/
Not read the article yet. I have read that moderate alcohol intake for Europeans will extend life. Especially wine taken with a meal. The study suggested it had slightly negative effects on life expectancy for non Europeans.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Not read the article yet. I have read that moderate alcohol intake for Europeans will extend life. Especially wine taken with a meal. The study suggested it had slightly negative effects on life expectancy for non Europeans.

This is your chance

Hitler had gas

You can force feed immigrants cheap table wine 🍷

[Wales-Bales]

It's basically poison ?
Too much info to simplify, but it's a fascinating watch.

[Lither_1927]

Intresting and worth a watch. Although he does seem to ignore the inevitable beneficial affects on the brain caused from close social bonding, which usually comes with alcohol consumption. There's probably plenty of studies which show that social bonding and conviviality brought about by alcohol can release "good" chemicals in the brain. I'm not much of a drinker and enjoy bonding & socialising without alcohol, but i do wonder if i've missed out having not been much of a drinker all these years. Drinkers seem to be a bit more care free...

[UNDERHILL1927]

I’m 6 years sober, alcohol almost killed me, and I volunteer for Recovery Cymru, a fantastic charity that helps people with addiction.

Even with all that background, I don’t like to demonise alcohol, it’s not the alcohol that’s the problem it’s our British mentality and culture around alcohol that’s the problem.

I do think there is a shift regarding our attitude towards alcohol. Alcohol free options are becoming massive and I think, and hope that in 20 years we’ll look back at alcohol in a similar way we do smoking.

[Citizen's Nephew]

I’m 6 years sober, alcohol almost killed me, and I volunteer for Recovery Cymru, a fantastic charity that helps people with addiction.

Even with all that background, I don’t like to demonise alcohol, it’s not the alcohol that’s the problem it’s our British mentality and culture around alcohol that’s the problem.

I do think there is a shift regarding our attitude towards alcohol. Alcohol free options are becoming massive and I think, and hope that in 20 years we’ll look back at alcohol in a similar way we do smoking.

:thumbup:

[Whisperer]

I self diagnosed that I’m allergic to alcohol - every time I drank I broke out in handcuffs.
#horribledrug.

[Doucas]

I usually go about four or five months a year sober.

When I drink I do have a great time with my friends but the hangovers are starting to last 2-3 days, my sleep goes to hell along with my energy levels, I then eat like total shit.

When I avoid drink I run, I gym, eat loads more salads and sleep really well, my partner says I lose loads of face bloat as well.

I don't think I can ever give it up completely though as much of my social life is based on alcohol and as I said, I have a great time with friends when I drink.

[Lither_1927]

I’m 6 years sober, alcohol almost killed me, and I volunteer for Recovery Cymru, a fantastic charity that helps people with addiction.

Even with all that background, I don’t like to demonise alcohol, it’s not the alcohol that’s the problem it’s our British mentality and culture around alcohol that’s the problem.

I do think there is a shift regarding our attitude towards alcohol. Alcohol free options are becoming massive and I think, and hope that in 20 years we’ll look back at alcohol in a similar way we do smoking.

I don't think it'll ever be regarded the same as smoking. I believe alcohol can be medicinal or poison depending on the dose and the person drinking it. like anything really.

[Ninja]

The ill effects of alcohol definitely need to be taught better to the younger generations. Not enough is done in that respect.

At school we were taught to "say no" to "hard" drugs. Heroin, crack etc. As a result I never went there.

However, nobody really taught us the severity of alcohol addiction which is very dangerous in itself.

I ended up developing an alcohol addiction and dependency to it over many years and it's damaged my physical health greatly. Combine it with smoking (you tend to smoke 2 or 3 times more when drinking) and it's a far more serious issue again.

I will spend the rest of my life battling alcohol addiction and trying to educate my kids about the dangers. I wish I could go back 30 years, my life would be very different and a lot better for sure.

I would never say alcohol should be banned, but education around it should certainly be far far greater.

[Kind of Blue]

If it were ‘invented’ now I think our attitude to alcohol would be completely different and it’s effects would be appreciated in a different light.

Big respect to those on here that have recognised their problems with it and have done something about it.

[Citizen's Nephew]

The ill effects of alcohol definitely need to be taught better to the younger generations. Not enough is done in that respect.

At school we were taught to "say no" to "hard" drugs. Heroin, crack etc. As a result I never went there.

However, nobody really taught us the severity of alcohol addiction which is very dangerous in itself.

I ended up developing an alcohol addiction and dependency to it over many years and it's damaged my physical health greatly. Combine it with smoking (you tend to smoke 2 or 3 times more when drinking) and it's a far more serious issue again.

I will spend the rest of my life battling alcohol addiction and trying to educate my kids about the dangers. I wish I could go back 30 years, my life would be very different and a lot better for sure.

I would never say alcohol should be banned, but education around it should certainly be far far greater.

We’ll done mate. Great post. Great advice. 🤙

[Citizen's Nephew]

If it were ‘invented’ now I think our attitude to alcohol would be completely different and it’s effects would be appreciated in a different light.

Big respect to those on here that have recognised their problems with it and have done something about it.

Yeah. Massive respect. 🤙🤙🤙

[WJ99mobile]

I don't think it'll ever be regarded the same as smoking. I believe alcohol can be medicinal or poison depending on the dose and the person drinking it. like anything really.

So how does that differ to smoking?

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Yeah. Massive respect. 🤙🤙🤙

Drank a reasonable bit in my late teens/early to late twenties, then eased of with marriage/children. Still have a couple of glasses of wine each night, and occasionally knock up a cocktail or two in the warm weather. Not for one second of my life has it been a problem, in fact pretty much every doctor etc. I know reckon a couple of drinks chills you, relaxes you, and generally does more good than harm.

Genuine sorry for folk who've had problems, but please - not another preaching sermon on the dangers of this and that. We get enough of those thank you.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Drank a reasonable bit in my late teens/early to late twenties, then eased of with marriage/children. Still have a couple of glasses of wine each night, and occasionally knock up a cocktail or two in the warm weather. Not for one second of my life has it been a problem, in fact pretty much every doctor etc. I know reckon a couple of drinks chills you, relaxes you, and generally does more good than harm.

Genuine sorry for folk who've had problems, but please - not another preaching sermon on the dangers of this and that. We get enough of those thank you.

Irony alert! Take your own advice and Chill AQM! I’m just showing my support mate. Said nothing else and not about to.

[Lither_1927]

So how does that differ to smoking?

Because smoking has no health benefits at all. Drink, especially wine has plenty. Look into something called the French paradox. Many say this can be attributed to the consumption of wine with a meal.

[North Cardiff Blue]

The ill effects of alcohol definitely need to be taught better to the younger generations. Not enough is done in that respect.

At school we were taught to "say no" to "hard" drugs. Heroin, crack etc. As a result I never went there.

However, nobody really taught us the severity of alcohol addiction which is very dangerous in itself.

I ended up developing an alcohol addiction and dependency to it over many years and it's damaged my physical health greatly. Combine it with smoking (you tend to smoke 2 or 3 times more when drinking) and it's a far more serious issue again.

I will spend the rest of my life battling alcohol addiction and trying to educate my kids about the dangers. I wish I could go back 30 years, my life would be very different and a lot better for sure.

I would never say alcohol should be banned, but education around it should certainly be far far greater.

Well done, youngsters seem to be drinking a lot less than our generation, well done to them too!

[tomcat]

An interesting presentation from Andrew D. Huberman, an American neuroscientist and associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health/
I drank like a fish from my teens to my early thirties and as the result of a blood test I discovered a problem with my liver, which petrified me. I stopped drinking heavily as a result and maybe have 3 or 4 pints a month nowadays My liver has recovered as a result and I feel so much better. I often wonder what would have happened had I not had that blood test. ..

[lardy]

Drank a reasonable bit in my late teens/early to late twenties, then eased of with marriage/children. Still have a couple of glasses of wine each night, and occasionally knock up a cocktail or two in the warm weather. Not for one second of my life has it been a problem, in fact pretty much every doctor etc. I know reckon a couple of drinks chills you, relaxes you, and generally does more good than harm.

Genuine sorry for folk who've had problems, but please - not another preaching sermon on the dangers of this and that. We get enough of those thank you.

There have been great 'problem' threads on here in the past, including people battling alcoholism. What is a preaching sermon to you is life and death to someone else (and no I'm not exaggerating).

[A Quiet Monkfish]

There have been great 'problem' threads on here in the past, including people battling alcoholism. What is a preaching sermon to you is life and death to someone else (and no I'm not exaggerating).

Whoay ! Steady on Tonto. I'm referring to the article only.

[FormerlyJohnnyBreadhead]

I’m 6 years sober, alcohol almost killed me, and I volunteer for Recovery Cymru, a fantastic charity that helps people with addiction.

Even with all that background, I don’t like to demonise alcohol, it’s not the alcohol that’s the problem it’s our British mentality and culture around alcohol that’s the problem.

I do think there is a shift regarding our attitude towards alcohol. Alcohol free options are becoming massive and I think, and hope that in 20 years we’ll look back at alcohol in a similar way we do smoking.

100% nail on the head.

[Monster munch]

I'm in mid forties, grown up with that generation in the late 90's and 00's of going on the piss through Uni and booze did become a very big part of life from there on, whats known as a weekender. Not so much in the week but the weekends were always chaos, clubbing, football, six nations weekends, etc.
I think the demons behind booze is always chasing that cloud nine warming feeling and once there just wanted to keep the buzz going. I (or my group of lads) were never in any trouble with the law or fighting but benders just became the norm for quite a long time. In the end though as we settled down, spending £200 on a night out in town and the 3 day hangovers just got to the point of why? Especially now married, kids, mortgage etc.
I do still have a drink but a lot more conservative, enjoy walking, cycling etc. There is the odd occasion but nowhere near what i was like.
No regrets, enjoyed life but can totally understand how it can take over peoples lives. Close family members and the same with some friends families have had major problems on the sauce. Its horrible to see how they crave it and they don't seem happy unless they've had a drink and with them its the deniability behind it and won't admit the drink keeps them going.
It is a cultural thing in the UK, not saying everyone is like it but from my experience is people simply love going on the piss.

[Wales-Bales]

Whoay ! Steady on Tonto. I'm referring to the article only.
The article/video is very good because it lays out how alcohol interacts with the human body in a way that is easy to understand. There are lots of side effects that could potentially lead to other more serious illnesses, and the presenter laid out the facts in a non-preachy way. For example, as we are seeing with covid, any kind of inflammation is bad for us and excessive drinking is quite quite good at causing inflammation all over the body, including inside the brain. I probably won't be making any changes to my lifestyle which is already quite well controlled, but it didn't stop my appreciation of listening to a skilled presenter who knows his onions.

[Wales-Bales]

Close family members and the same with some friends families have had major problems on the sauce. Its horrible to see how they crave it and they don't seem happy unless they've had a drink and with them its the deniability behind it and won't admit the drink keeps them going.I know some people who change completely after a few drinks, and I have to take a reading to see which persona I am dealing with. That presentation explained the how and why it is happening.

[Whisperer]

Well done, youngsters seem to be drinking a lot less than our generation, well done to them too!
I’m not surprised with the price of a pint these days, quarter of puff is much more economical.

[Optimistic Nick]

Interesting video. There is no getting away from it - the direct effect of alcohol on the body aren't good.

I was thinking about this recenly. I've been drinking for over 20 years, more than half my life. And I didn't think I had a problem (and I still don't), but other than a period a few years ago when I went tee total for (unrelated) medical reasons for 2-3 months, I can't really remember the last time i had a period of say 2 weeks without having a drink. Not since I was 18. I am sure I have had plenty such gaps but not noticed them because I've never thought about it really. So earlier this year I started to count the units I was getting through over a 2 month period. It averaaged out at about 40-50 a week, which is a lot. The highest it got was 75, but I don't think I had a single week where I was below the recommended cap of 14. I thought- blimey, I've probably been smashing 50+units a week for a couple of decades now. I am fairly sure I'd gone no more than 5 days without a drink for 2 years, would liekly have been getting through an average of 30+ units a week, without a break, for 20+ years. Now these are not huge numbers - I know this is amateur stuff compared to what alcoholics do - but it is still consistently in excess of what is regarded to be healthy, and I'd been doing this for 20 years. Which doesn't sound clever.

So i took myself off for a lliver function test to see what sort of damage I'd done. To my amazement the results came back clean. Really, really clean - not a single indicator of a problem and most scores at the very healthy end of the spectrum. Which I just couldn't believe. Part of me was disappointed - I was expecting a kick up the arse. (although the fact I'd not damaged my liver was obviously a positive!)

Regardless of the test results, I want to give my liver a holiday and see how I feel without alcohol for 2 weeks. That was 10 days ago and it won't surprise anyone when I say I feel awesome - noticably better than I did a fortnight ago. I've made some other changes to my lifestyle too including getting an extra hour's sleep a day, but I feel so much healthier and energetic. I've been to the pub still and socialised, but with non-alcoholic drinks. And I don't miss it at all. I've got a simple scoring system where I score 5 points for a sober day, but deduct 3 points per unit if I do have a drink. I'm currently on a hot streak of 10 days sober and I want to keep that run going - I really like seeing the little green "0" in my units consumed column on my spreadsheet.

I don't see myself going tee total for the rest of my life or anything like that (although 2 weeks already feels too short and I want to see what a month feels like), but the default of drinking half a bottle of wine in front of the telly on any given school night has definitely gone: what on earth was the benefit of that?! It cost a fortune; made me feel crap and didn't enhance my enjoyment of what I was doing at all! If I am out for dinner or whatever then yes I'd still like a glass of wine, but I think my overall consumption will drastically reduce now. And to be honest videos and threads like this strengthen my resolve in that direction. I could take my liver function test as a license to carry on, but I know I'd be kidding myself because you just cannot escape the fact that alcohol is poison. So keep stuff like this coming, it's excellent motivation.

[Lither_1927]

Interesting video. There is no getting away from it - the direct effect of alcohol on the body aren't good.

I was thinking about this recenly. I've been drinking for over 20 years, more than half my life. And I didn't think I had a problem (and I still don't), but other than a period a few years ago when I went tee total for (unrelated) medical reasons for 2-3 months, I can't really remember the last time i had a period of say 2 weeks without having a drink. Not since I was 18. I am sure I have had plenty such gaps but not noticed them because I've never thought about it really. So earlier this year I started to count the units I was getting through over a 2 month period. It averaaged out at about 40-50 a week, which is a lot. The highest it got was 75, but I don't think I had a single week where I was below the recommended cap of 14. I thought- blimey, I've probably been smashing 50+units a week for a couple of decades now. I am fairly sure I'd gone no more than 5 days without a drink for 2 years, would liekly have been getting through an average of 30+ units a week, without a break, for 20+ years. Now these are not huge numbers - I know this is amateur stuff compared to what alcoholics do - but it is still consistently in excess of what is regarded to be healthy, and I'd been doing this for 20 years. Which doesn't sound clever.

So i took myself off for a lliver function test to see what sort of damage I'd done. To my amazement the results came back clean. Really, really clean - not a single indicator of a problem and most scores at the very healthy end of the spectrum. Which I just couldn't believe. Part of me was disappointed - I was expecting a kick up the arse. (although the fact I'd not damaged my liver was obviously a positive!)

Regardless of the test results, I want to give my liver a holiday and see how I feel without alcohol for 2 weeks. That was 10 days ago and it won't surprise anyone when I say I feel awesome - noticably better than I did a fortnight ago. I've made some other changes to my lifestyle too including getting an extra hour's sleep a day, but I feel so much healthier and energetic. I've been to the pub still and socialised, but with non-alcoholic drinks. And I don't miss it at all. I've got a simple scoring system where I score 5 points for a sober day, but deduct 3 points per unit if I do have a drink. I'm currently on a hot streak of 10 days sober and I want to keep that run going - I really like seeing the little green "0" in my units consumed column on my spreadsheet.

I don't see myself going tee total for the rest of my life or anything like that (although 2 weeks already feels too short and I want to see what a month feels like), but the default of drinking half a bottle of wine in front of the telly on any given school night has definitely gone: what on earth was the benefit of that?! It cost a fortune; made me feel crap and didn't enhance my enjoyment of what I was doing at all! If I am out for dinner or whatever then yes I'd still like a glass of wine, but I think my overall consumption will drastically reduce now. And to be honest videos and threads like this strengthen my resolve in that direction. I could take my liver function test as a license to carry on, but I know I'd be kidding myself because you just cannot escape the fact that alcohol is poison. So keep stuff like this coming, it's excellent motivation.
Wine is not a poison.

[Whisperer]

Three people at the bar, the moderate drinker, the heavy drinker and the alcoholic. Whiskey please barman, drink arrives and the first person notices a fly swimming around in it - Barman could you change my drink there's a fly in it. (that's a moderate drinker). Second person orders a whiskey and see's the fly swimming around and say's fcuk it and just knocks it back in one go.( heavy drinker) the alcoholic sees the fly grabs it around the neck and say's spit it out you little fecker....There's a little truth in there somewhere.

[splott parker]

The upsurge in drinking at home seems to be a bit of a problem. Instead of putting the kettle on are people reaching for the wine bottle instead? Blokes buying a slab of cans on the way home from work for the evening’s beverage. Stick to the tea with a biscuit to dip at home, have a pint when you’re out.

[UNDERHILL1927]

The upsurge in drinking at home seems to be a bit of a problem. Instead of putting the kettle on are people reaching for the wine bottle instead? Blokes buying a slab of cans on the way home from work for the evening’s beverage. Stick to the tea with a biscuit to dip at home, have a pint when you’re out.

Agreed mate, lockdowns naturally saw a huge surge in people drinking heavily In the house.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

The upsurge in drinking at home seems to be a bit of a problem. Instead of putting the kettle on are people reaching for the wine bottle instead? Blokes buying a slab of cans on the way home from work for the evening’s beverage. Stick to the tea with a biscuit to dip at home, have a pint when you’re out.

Agreed.

The only time I have ever drunk in the house was when I used to visit my mother at Christmas. Sometimes my wife will bring back a few cans of beer that the father-in-law has asked her to pass on to me - in the end, she uses them for cooking, as she knows I won't touch them.

[UNDERHILL1927]

Just saw a post on my Instagram of a few lads I know playing golf. They are carting around their clubs but also a massive portable fridge full of lager. People can’t even play a round of golf without getting smashed doing so, blows my mind.

[splott parker]

Agreed.

The only time I have ever drunk in the house was when I used to visit my mother at Christmas. Sometimes my wife will bring back a few cans of beer that the father-in-law has asked her to pass on to me - in the end, she uses them for cooking, as she knows I won't touch them.

I’ve been bought slabs of cans for doing people favours, they usually ask my missus what I drink. She does tell them not to waste their money as they’ll just gather dust in the shed. I’m sure there’s quite a few in there way out of date. I do get some funny looks though when I tell other blokes that I never drink at home, us tea drinkers are definitely in the minority I fear, we’re the weird ones:shrug:

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Alcohol is dreadful and tastes like camel piss

I can't stand the stuff and can't remember the last time I had a drink , at least 15 years ago

[North Cardiff Blue]

Interesting video. There is no getting away from it - the direct effect of alcohol on the body aren't good.

I was thinking about this recenly. I've been drinking for over 20 years, more than half my life. And I didn't think I had a problem (and I still don't), but other than a period a few years ago when I went tee total for (unrelated) medical reasons for 2-3 months, I can't really remember the last time i had a period of say 2 weeks without having a drink. Not since I was 18. I am sure I have had plenty such gaps but not noticed them because I've never thought about it really. So earlier this year I started to count the units I was getting through over a 2 month period. It averaaged out at about 40-50 a week, which is a lot. The highest it got was 75, but I don't think I had a single week where I was below the recommended cap of 14. I thought- blimey, I've probably been smashing 50+units a week for a couple of decades now. I am fairly sure I'd gone no more than 5 days without a drink for 2 years, would liekly have been getting through an average of 30+ units a week, without a break, for 20+ years. Now these are not huge numbers - I know this is amateur stuff compared to what alcoholics do - but it is still consistently in excess of what is regarded to be healthy, and I'd been doing this for 20 years. Which doesn't sound clever.

So i took myself off for a lliver function test to see what sort of damage I'd done. To my amazement the results came back clean. Really, really clean - not a single indicator of a problem and most scores at the very healthy end of the spectrum. Which I just couldn't believe. Part of me was disappointed - I was expecting a kick up the arse. (although the fact I'd not damaged my liver was obviously a positive!)

Regardless of the test results, I want to give my liver a holiday and see how I feel without alcohol for 2 weeks. That was 10 days ago and it won't surprise anyone when I say I feel awesome - noticably better than I did a fortnight ago. I've made some other changes to my lifestyle too including getting an extra hour's sleep a day, but I feel so much healthier and energetic. I've been to the pub still and socialised, but with non-alcoholic drinks. And I don't miss it at all. I've got a simple scoring system where I score 5 points for a sober day, but deduct 3 points per unit if I do have a drink. I'm currently on a hot streak of 10 days sober and I want to keep that run going - I really like seeing the little green "0" in my units consumed column on my spreadsheet.

I don't see myself going tee total for the rest of my life or anything like that (although 2 weeks already feels too short and I want to see what a month feels like), but the default of drinking half a bottle of wine in front of the telly on any given school night has definitely gone: what on earth was the benefit of that?! It cost a fortune; made me feel crap and didn't enhance my enjoyment of what I was doing at all! If I am out for dinner or whatever then yes I'd still like a glass of wine, but I think my overall consumption will drastically reduce now. And to be honest videos and threads like this strengthen my resolve in that direction. I could take my liver function test as a license to carry on, but I know I'd be kidding myself because you just cannot escape the fact that alcohol is poison. So keep stuff like this coming, it's excellent motivation.

Great post, spotted a trend and stopped it becoming a problem :thumbup:

Most things are OK in moderation, dry January is a useful test, I expect this cost of living crisis will reduce some peoples drinking too.

[Lither_1927]

Alcohol is dreadful and tastes like camel piss

I can't stand the stuff and can't remember the last time I had a drink , at least 15 years ago

Don't drink, don't toke, What do you do?

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Wine is not a poison.

No it's not.

I'd be more concerned health-wise about what people 'eat'. Stand at a supermarket checkout and see what crap people load into their trolleys. Then there's the millions of 'deliveroo' takeaways etc. delivering junk to folk sitting on their sofa. And this guy is warning us about a couple of drinks a week.

[Lither_1927]

No it's not.

I'd be more concerned health-wise about what people 'eat'. Stand at a supermarket checkout and see what crap people load into their trolleys. Then there's the millions of 'deliveroo' takeaways etc. delivering junk to folk sitting on their sofa. And this guy is warning us about a couple of drinks a week.

I agree, alcohol has been used positively for millenia in Europe. At it's best, it brings people together in a open way an enriches relationships. It's a social lubricant. Isn't there a lot of evidence that red wine with food reduces heart disease? For some it's a poison and should be strictly regulated by themselves. but i think this Neuroscientist, while highly intelligent, may be cherry picking his data, subconciously perhaps. Surely there is positive effects on the brain circuitry of socialising and cutting loose in a convivial setting. And i rarely drink myself.

[UNDERHILL1927]

With regards to the “poison” point. I agree that alcohol by itself isn’t a poison, it’s the abuse and overuse that makes it a poison. You can have too much Magnesium and it poison you. Alcohol isn’t the bad guy here, and we’re never going to go back to prohibition days, more education is needed 100%