Heavy social drinkers show brain damage - US study

revramrod

Heavy social drinkers show brain damage - US study
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2004041413430002804536

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - Heavy social drinkers show the same pattern of brain damage as hospitalized alcoholics -- enough to impair day-to-day functioning, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Brain scans show clear damage, and tests of reading, balance and other function show people who drink more than 100 drinks a month have some problems, the researchers said.

One-hundred drinks sounds kinda excessive, doesn't it? Let's see: approximately three and a half drinks a day, or 25 beers per weekend.

Verbal?

"Our heavy drinkers sample was significantly impaired on measures of working memory, processing speed, attention, executive function, and balance," the researchers wrote.

Thank you, Dr. Obvious.

"Our message is: Drink in moderation. Heavy drinking damages your brain ever so slightly, reducing your cognitive functioning in ways that may not be readily noticeable. To be safe, don't overdo it."

Verbal?

elchrist · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 08:02 AM Post subject: Brains

This makes complete sense to me.

There have been times when I've had a couple (cheap*) drinks in the early afternoon and the next day I don't feel 100%. Now imagine drinking a few every single day.

It's very possible to drink close to a 20 a weekend without taking notice, just like it's possible to smoke two packs of cigarettes in one night while drinking.

On a side note, would zombies like to eat drunken brains?

* CL, BL, TKT, ETC.

pato · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 08:08 AM Post subject:

Who here would say they drink 100 + beers a month? I consider myself to be a social drinker, but I only drink about a 12 pack during a "social" event. I'm not one of those that drinks beer just for the fuck of it when I'm home, drinking a 12 pack while sitting on my couch watching Friends is not a social event.

verbal · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 09:53 AM Post subject:

100 beers a month is a nice number. Let's see the Rev said 3.5 beers a day = 25 a week. I have a better formula.

3 beers per hour. Though, the first two hours the pace will be at 3.5 - 4 beers.
Start drinking at 8 pm and stop at 2 am. 6 hours of solid pounding. That my friend is roughly 18-24 beers. Now, do that every weekend and you're around the 100 mark.

Remember that's only drinking one night of the week. There might be a carne asada on Sunday, and since you're still feeling the effects of Friday night you only pound a sixer. (3 hours at the social gathering and you nurse each beer for an average of 30 minutes).

If it’s a social event the average* time for the consumption of one beer is roughly 20 minutes. On a slow night one will nurse a drink an additional 10-20 minutes. So, if your body and mind don't want to drink, but due to old social peer pressures your mouth will be slurping some alcoholic beverages.

Drink in moderation, whatever that means. Obviously, who ever thought of that does not have drunk bastard friends who live in hell like temperatures and gather around 20 packs on the front lawn. My formula for success is don't drink during the week. Then on weekends avoid the A.A. member of the club who wants to drink till the sun comes up. Then get good quality beer and pound yourself a solid sixer. If the night is young give yourself a pad on the back and allow 2-4 more beers. The magic number here is 10.

I for one cannot run away from the dreaded hangovers and for days after I feel like I belong on the short yellow bus. Also, I have a theory that for the most part people don't become wiser/smarter as they grow up. Instead they dumb themselves. How do they do this? Easy. The first is by drinking themselves to a point of drowning. Repeat for years and by the ten year reunion one can actually see the effects of the alcohol. Second, people really didn’t pay attention in high school so what makes you think that after 3 kids and a job that they are going to start reading and learning. If one does not attend a higher institution of learning for the most part one** will not go out of there way to exercise their brains. Just like Cesare Lombroso could spot a criminal I can spot one who has regressed. If your ten year reunion is coming up or you happen to bump into old high school comrades then look for the following. Their face tends to droop down. After asking a question they pause and think. Their vocabulary is the same or even worse than you remember them having. I could go on and on, but this conversation would best be served around some beers…

*Years and years of research.
** Yes, yes…you might be the exception to the rule, but look around.

Americano · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 10:27 AM Post subject:

Alls I knows it that I does bestest math when I drinks myself some beers.

carnicerodegiles · Posted: 15 Apr 2004 02:28 PM Post subject:

When you drink for social acceptance, then "brag" the next day about how you got "sooo piss drunk" and were puking and that you made a total fucking ass of yourself, then you know there is something wrong with your brain with so much drinking.

It's even worse when you think you are actually "gaining social acceptance " by doing so.

insomnia_rd8r · Cholo Nako Joined: 09 Feb 2004 Posts: 8

ahh who needs brain cells anyways