Alcohol and the Brain

These posts were originally part of the smoking thread which got way off topic. The posts were moved here so that we didn't derail the smoking thread.

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Originally Posted by Dark Neighbour

I don't smoke...I've been told that I would die in about a month if I took it up.

I do drink though. Bit of a contradiction, don't ya think?:wacko:

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Not really, drinking doesn't cut years off of your life unless you drink excessively. Smoking is harmful no matter how many cigarettes you have.

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Originally Posted by Mason

Not really, drinking doesn't cut years off of your life unless you drink excessively. Smoking is harmful no matter how many cigarettes you have.

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It could. You lose a lot of brain cells as you drink plus you increase your chances of heart disease, liver disease etc.

Also, you can die of alcohol poisoning just from one binge. Think of that, kiddos.

Keyword: excessively. Binging is excessive. And those effects you mentioned are also only found in those who routinely drink large quantities of alcohol.

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Originally Posted by Mason

Keyword: excessively. Binging is excessive. And those effects you mentioned are also only found in those who routinely drink large quantities of alcohol.

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No it's not.

If you lose brain cells per drink, it's obviously affecting your life span in some sort of way. It's just simple logic, Mason.

Drinking doesn't kill brain cells, actually. It does affect the way brain cells communicate, however the brain repairs itself which makes the problem largely reversible. Except, again, if you're heavily drinking.

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Originally Posted by Mason

Drinking doesn't kill brain cells, actually. It does affect the way brain cells communicate, however the brain repairs itself which makes the problem largely reversible. Except, again, if you're heavily drinking.

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Right.

And you would go against many researchers who say it does kill brain cells, eh?

EDIT: Which is completely beyond the point anyway, because if you just read my original post, you'd note that brain cells isn't the only thing that drinking affects.... and no, for the last time, I'm not talking about binge drinking.

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Originally Posted by Treguard

Right.

And you would go against many researchers who say it does kill brain cells, eh?

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Recent research follows what I said, actually.

Edit: And I'll drop this since the topic is getting way off course.

Actually Mason. If drinking has a high sugar and fat intake, then that would increase your cholestoral. Right? So obviously that decreases your life span too :p.

EDIT: You're dropping it, because I am the winner. And grand ultimate twat. And.. Something else fantastical.

I don't smoke, nor will I ever as far as I'm concerned.

On a side note;

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Originally Posted by Mason

Drinking doesn't kill brain cells, actually. It does affect the way brain cells communicate, however the brain repairs itself which makes the problem largely reversible. Except, again, if you're heavily drinking.

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Actually, an adult brain can't repair itself.... http://www.christopherreeve.org/Rese...fm?ID=169&c=21

Only you would know that Ace.. only you..

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Originally Posted by Ace

On a side note;

Actually, an adult brain can't repair itself.... http://www.christopherreeve.org/Rese...fm?ID=169&c=21

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Er, that was an article on the central nervous system. Not the brain.

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For decades, it has been dogma that the human brain can not repair itself. Once neurones die, they stay dead and are not replaced. The human brain was considered just too complex to self-repair like the other body organs. However, a paper recently published in Nature contests this.

The paper from Jeffrey Macklis of Harvard Medical School and co-workers Sanjay Magavi and Blair Leavitt, contradicts over a century of neuroscience belief that the mammalian brain and particularly the cerebral cortex is incapable of healing. "Somewhere during evolution it was believed," Macklis says, "our brain, unlike the brains of other lower vertebrates, decided it would no longer do self-repair. The assumption has been that because we as mammals build a very complex brain, we don't want to mess around with it. We know now that this view isn't correct."

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http://www.neuropsychology.co.uk/pages/news.htm

Note: Yet again we're getting off topic. Do we want another thread for this?

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Originally Posted by Mason

Er, that was an article on the central nervous system. Not the brain.

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http://dictionary.reference.com/sear...Nervous+System

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4 entries found for Central Nervous System.
central nervous system
n. Abbr. CNS

The portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

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And as for your quote, it hasn't been used yet on Humans. Only on rats....

http://www.rideforlife.com/archives/000180.html

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These results don't mean that we have an immediate cure for brain and spinal injuries, Raghupathi said. But, he added, "This is a good first step. Now we need to see if it works in higher animals, such a primates."

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On that note I am much more on the side that smoking harms far more than drink.

There has been some studies done, that show that alcohol in moderation:

May actually boost brain function slightly (in some cases
Can help prevent heart disease: http://www.newscientist.com/hottopic...?id=ns99993249
http://www.newscientist.com/hottopic...sp?id=22602100

Some studies have shown a slight increase of Cancer cases amongst heavy drinkers, though AFAIK the stats are the same for moderate drinkers.

The only beneficial effect I can think of from smoking, is there are theories that the Nicotine can act as a stimulant to the brain and help lower the risk of Alzheimers.

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9610/22/nfm/alzheimers/

Course I wouldn't take that study as being gospel (there are other sources) that one was funded by the Philip Morris group though, so hardly impartial.

Also, some people smoke to lose weight. Reason being, it consumes their body as well as their souls.