Alcohol has a personality disorder, at least in the minds of researchers who study its effects on the human body. These scientists are having a hard time deciding if alcohol has a selfless character that does good things for the physical health of humans or if it is the diabolical “fire water” Satan that destroys lives and families, and causes more health problems than previously thought. I think the latter is the reality.
Chronic alcoholism is a serious disorder that falls on the harmful side of the spectrum. Late stage chronic alcoholism results in its own organic brain syndrome called Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. This is a chronic, irreversible neurologic syndrome characterized by confusion, memory loss, hallucinations, diminished “executive functions,” and unsteady gait. It is caused by a combination of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency and long term alcohol misuse. Hard core alcoholics often choose alcohol over food and suffer with deficiencies that have their own consequences.
For decades, though, doctors thought small amounts of alcohol were helpful at preventing hardening of the arteries, especially in the carotids. Carotid stenoses are potentially serious, causing strokes and 2 oz of whisky at bedtime was good for prevention. It was also thought that alcohol even protected the heart and brain and could lengthen our lifespan.
Those assertions, now, are not riding the wave of credibility. Multiple “analyses have been re-done,” and we know “alcohol was linked to higher risks for hypertension, heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and many other forms of cardiovascular disease—not to mention accidents, trauma, cirrhosis, several forms of cancer (GI, breast), and shortened lifespans.”
A new study in the British Medical Journal, “suggests that alcohol is also linked to increase risk of dementia.” There is “no safe level of drinking…..any amount of alcohol seemed to increase dementia risk on a population level.” As people develop cognitive decline, their tendency is to drink less. Thus they have “reverse causation.” The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2023 that no amount of alcohol is safe, and research has shown that “alcohol is directly toxic to neurons in the brain.” Any assertion that “moderate alcohol consumption is protective of either the brain or heart” is misleading. Findings of the study referenced here “provide evidence for a relationship between all types of alcohol use and increased dementia risk….genetic analyses did not support any protective effect, suggesting that any level of alcohol consumption may contribute to dementia risk.”
Dr. G’s Opinion: The article referenced here makes an argument for reverse causation saying that declining consumption of alcohol is harmful to the brain. I’m not sure I buy this conclusion. In fact, in the introduction they state “we are currently unable to infer confidently a causal relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive decline.” So I’m not sure. However, common sense says that the frequent consumption of a mind-altering substance that makes you dizzy, ataxic, forgetful, and/or unconscious could do damage to the brain over time.
Reference: Manson JA. Alcohol: Bad for heart, Brain, and Cognition? Medscape 2025 October 8.
Topiwala A, et al. Alcohol Use and Risk of Dementia in Diverse populations: evidence from cohort, case-control and Mendelian ramdomisation of approaches. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 2025 September 23.
