Health News Update: Alcohol and Brain: No Safe Level of Consumption
New Title
Health News Update: Alcohol and Brain: No Safe Level of Consumption 11.17.25
Hello again everyone: This blog is for those who are interested in preserving maximal brain function, memory, and overall health. Pay special attention if you have any relatives, near or close, that have any type of dementia, or if you have any level of brain fog. These are all neurodegenerative disorders that have inflammation as a component. How this ties in with alcohol consumption is the focus of this new research paper.
ABSTRACT
Objectives To investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and dementia.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS
In the largest combined observational and genetic study to date, light alcohol consumption was associated with the lowest dementia risk observationally, but genetic analyses showed a monotonic increasing dementia risk with increased alcohol intake. Mendelian randomization suggests a causal role of alcohol consumption in increasing dementia risk, with no evidence supporting a protective effect at any consumption level.
HOW MIGHT THIS STUDY AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY
These findings challenge the notion that low levels of alcohol are neuroprotective and suggest that public health efforts to reduce alcohol use disorder could significantly lower dementia incidence. Halving the population prevalence of alcohol use disorder may reduce dementia cases by up to 16%, highlighting alcohol reduction as a potential strategy in dementia prevention policies.
https://ebm.bmj.com/content/ebmed/early/2025/09/16/bmjebm-2025-113913.full.pdf
Bottom Line: This paper clarifies earlier observations that light to moderate alcohol consumption had some benefit by showing that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for the brain. Use this information to shape your alcohol consumption as it relates to your health values, your genetic risks, your current health, and other individual factors. No alcohol is the best practice. To me, at this point in my life, alcohol consumption is like throwing a heavy blanket over the light of my soul…there is just no benefit, so I avoid it completely. What are your thoughts?
