Study: Even a Small Amount of Alcohol Damages the Brain

A new study has determined exactly how much alcohol can be safely consumed before it causes damage to one’s brain.

And it’s not a lot. In fact, researchers with the University of Oxford have found that even a tiny amount of alcohol causes “adverse” effects to the brain — and the damage gets worse the more you drink.

“There’s no threshold drinking for harm — any alcohol is worse,” says the study’s lead author, Anya Topiwala. “Pretty much the whole brain seems to be affected — not just specific areas, as previously thought.”

In a study of 25,000 U.K. residents, researchers found alcohol caused participants’ grey matter density to drop — up to .8 percent, in some cases, the study reveals. That’s enough to cause behavioral and emotional changes in a person, Topiwala says.

https://t.co/e0SqiNON1J Any amount of alcohol consumption harmful to the brain, finds study – Guardian #sciencenews pic.twitter.com/D7IJQsJr6a

— Science news (@UpdateonScience) May 19, 2021