What Alcohol May Be Quietly Doing to Our Bodies

Photo credit: Kevin Kelly/Unsplash

In the UK and many other parts of the world, alcohol is often associated with socialising, celebration and relaxation. For many people, alcohol isn’t simply about drinking, it’s woven into routines, emotions, relationships, and often a way of coping with stress.

The impact on health is viewed differently now than it was even 10 years ago.

Research is increasingly showing that alcohol affects far more than the liver and, in fact, it influences every system in the body, including the brain, hormones, sleep, mood and immunity.

Whilst we’ve long understood that heavy drinking is harmful to health*, emerging science gives us some insight at how even small amounts of alcohol may affect our wellbeing and I have covered some of the more recent developments below.

*There are varying definitions of exactly how much is too much but UK guidelines suggest that both men and women should limit their intake to no more than 14 units per week, which is the equivalent of about 6 standard glasses of wine, or 1.5 bottles.

Brain Health

What caught my attention and sparked my interest in this was a study from UK Biobank, published in 2022, involving more than 36,000 adults. The study explored the relationship between alcohol consumption and the structure of the brain and findings suggested that even moderate drinking was associated with long term changes in the area of the brain connected to memory, emotional regulation, focus, and communication.

The associations between alcohol and brain structure were even visible in people consuming an average of one to two alcohol units per day and as intake increased, the impact on the brain became stronger.

Another paper, based on data from over 1 million adults, found that those consuming higher levels of alcohol had, approximately, a threefold increased risk of developing dementia.

Cancer

Alcohol is now recognised as a significant risk factor for several cancers, including:

Even relatively low levels of alcohol consumption increases the risk. Alcohol drives inflammation which increases oxidative stress, causes hormonal disruption, and ultimately damages our DNA.

For women in particular, there is increasing evidence around the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer. Alcohol can  increase oestrogen levels and negatively influence the hormones involved in breast tissue growth.

The World Health Organisation categorises alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen.

Why Did We Once Think Alcohol Was Heart-Healthy?

Studies in years gone by found that moderate drinkers sometimes appeared to have lower rates of heart disease. Researchers later realised these studies may have been influenced by other lifestyle factors, such as healthier diets, exercise, and even access to better health care. Needless to say, more recent analysis makes any potential health benefits look much less convincing.

One of the clearest links in heart health is between alcohol and high blood pressure. Alcohol activates stress pathways and affects the function of blood vessels. Therefore regular drinking may contribute to persistent hypertension which brings in the risk of heart attacks and strokes, among other things.

Blood pressure improves significantly after reducing alcohol intake. Improved blood pressure can be seen after just 3 or 4 days and will reach a healthier baseline in 2 to 4 weeks after a reduction.

Irregular heart rhythms, especially atrial fibrillation (AFib), are also a symptom of increased alcohol consumption. There’s even a term used in medicine called ‘Holiday Heart Syndrome’. Hospitals notice an increase in AFib admissions around festive holidays, celebrations and weekends, when people are more likely to be drinking heavily.

Betterment, not perfection

I’ll jump off my pedestal at this point.

Health is never shaped by just one thing. Our genetics, relationships, stress levels, sleep, food, movement, environment and emotional wellbeing all interact in complex ways over a lifetime. Alcohol is just one piece of the puzzle.

My intention here is not to tell people how to live. None of us are perfect, and wellbeing is rarely about perfection anyway. On-going research provides awareness, allowing us to make informed choices about the habits we want to keep, reduce, or change.

Perhaps for some people, especially those with an elevated risk of conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease or dementia, that awareness is enough to reconsider the extra glass of wine after dinner.

There’s always a chance that even a small shift could matter more than we realise.

References

Daviet, R., Aydogan, G., Jagannathan, K., Spilka, N., Koellinger, P. D., Kranzler, H. R., Nave, G., & Wetherill, R. R. (2022). Associations between alcohol consumption and gray and white matter volumes in the UK Biobank. Nature Communications, 13(1), 1175. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28735-5

World Health Organization. (2023, February 4). No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-02-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

National Health Service. (n.d.). Alcohol advice. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/

Schwarzinger, M., Pollock, B. G., Hasan, O. S. M., Dufouil, C., & Rehm, J. (2018). Contribution of alcohol use disorders to the burden of dementia in France 2008–13: A nationwide retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Public Health, 3(3), e124–e132. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30022-7

World Heart Federation. (2022, January 20). No amount of alcohol is good for the heart, says World Heart Federation. https://world-heart-federation.org/news/no-amount-of-alcohol-is-good-for-the-heart-says-world-heart-federation/

Cancer Research UK. (n.d.). Alcohol and cancer risk. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/alcohol-and-cancer

British Heart Foundation. (n.d.). The effects of alcohol on your heart. https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/effects-of-alcohol-on-your-heart

This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace personalised medical advice.