The benefits of quitting drinking are clear, including for your body, your brain, and your wallet. It can certainly improve your life. But what’s the key to drinking less if you don’t want to quit completely?
First of all, it’s important to understand how alcohol works. According to Dr Ryan Zafar, a neuropsychopharmacologist and member of Pharmacoscience at Imperial College London, alcohol affects many receptors in the brain: most notably gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine and serotonin.
GABA reduces brain activity, reducing stress and anxiety. It is stimulated by alcohol. At the same time, disorders in the GABA system can also contribute to anxiety.
Alcohol also suppresses glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter. As a result, you get double the relief.
Next comes dopamine. This hormone is often associated with cocaine and smartphone use. It is very good for the brain. Studies have shown that dopaminergic systems in the alcohol-addicted brain are altered. The ability to refuse more alcohol is also suppressed due to the destructive effect of GABA on the prefrontal cortex, the rational part of the brain that makes decisions.
There is also serotonin. This hormone gives us a feeling of joy and well-being.
All of this makes drinking alcohol very appealing. But there’s a problem. Alcohol has well-known serious negative health effects.
The World Health Organization announced that 5.1% of all illnesses and injuries worldwide in 2022 will be caused by alcohol.
The most common cause of excessive alcohol consumption is liver disease. If you drink for three days in a row, this will already increase the amount of fat in the liver. In addition, 90% of people who drink more than 40 grams of alcohol per day (or four units, about two pints of beer or cider or two glasses of wine) develop alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Alcohol is also the main cause of hypertension. It can lead to heart attacks, strokes and cancer. According to experts, women who drink one drink a day have a 5-9 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Alcohol also reduces fertility in both sexes. One study of nearly 100,000 women found that light alcohol consumption reduced fertility by 11%, while moderate or heavy alcohol consumption reduced fertility by 23%.
Alcoholic beverages cause sleep disruptions. As a result, the overall quality of sleep deteriorates.
According to neuropharmacologist Professor David Nutt, every 8g of alcohol causes the body to produce around 80ml of urine. This can ultimately lead to dehydration.
Giving up alcohol can be difficult, in part because it makes us feel connected to others. If all our friends drink, there’s a certain amount of pressure on us.
Experts recommend drinking at least 1 litre of water to quench your thirst, no matter what time of day you drink alcohol. You can also download an app to track your alcohol intake.
To reduce the damage caused by alcohol, Dr. Zafar says that a person should make sure to have at least two consecutive alcohol-free days per week. The number of alcohol-free days should be greater overall. This allows your liver to function normally and stabilizes your brain’s neurochemistry.
News materials are not equivalent to a doctor’s prescription. Consult a specialist before making a decision.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
