Here’s to your health: Low levels of alcohol good for the brain

05 Feb 2018 --- When it comes to alcoholic beverages, low alcohol content and quality-over-quantity are two clear trends in new product demand, especially among health-conscious consumers who are becoming increasingly vigilant about what they are putting into their bodies. Adding some scientific merit to enjoying an occasional tipple, a new study has now found that while consuming low doses of alcohol can help clear the mind after a busy day, it may actually help “clean” the mind as well.

The new study, which appears in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that low levels of alcohol consumption tamp down inflammation and helps the brain clear away toxins, including those associated with Alzheimer's disease.

“Prolonged intake of excessive amounts of ethanol is known to have adverse effects on the central nervous system,” says Maiken Nedergaard, M.D., D.M.Sc., co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and lead author of the study. “However, in this study we have shown for the first time that low doses of alcohol are potentially beneficial to brain health, namely it improves the brain's ability to remove waste.”

The finding adds to a growing body of research that point to the health benefits of low doses of alcohol. While excessive consumption of alcohol is a well-documented health hazard, many studies have linked lower levels of drinking with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as a number of cancers.

Nedergaard's research focuses on the glymphatic system, the brain's unique cleaning process that was first described by Nedergaard and her colleagues in 2012. They showed how cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is pumped into brain tissue and flushes away waste, including the proteins beta-amyloid and tau that are associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Subsequent research has shown that the glymphatic system is more active while we sleep, can be damaged by stroke and trauma, and improves with exercise.

The study, which was conducted in mice, looked at the impact of both acute and chronic alcohol exposure. Animals that were exposed to low levels of alcohol consumption, analogous to approximately 2 ½ drinks per day, actually showed less inflammation in the brain and their glymphatic system was more efficient in moving CSF through the brain and removing waste, compared to control mice who were not exposed to alcohol. The low dose animals' performance in the cognitive and motor tests was identical to the controls.

“Studies have shown that low-to-moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lesser risk of dementia, while heavy drinking for many years confers an increased risk of cognitive decline. This study may help explain why this occurs. Specifically, low doses of alcohol appear to improve overall brain health.”

In its Top Ten Trends for 2018, Innova Market Insights has noted that although light alcoholic drinks have been around for quite some time, they have now surged as younger drinkers change their priorities on a night out. Big brands have adapted their marketing of light drinks towards the more mainstream consumer, focusing on regularly enjoying an alcoholic beverage without worrying about the consequences.

The major manufacturers are sensing a shift in consumer demand towards lighter options and have little choice but to respond. By targeting late Millennials and young professionals, there has been a strong increase in the prevalence of low alcoholic drinks. For example, in July 2017, British multinational alcoholic beverages company Diageo expanded its nutritional labeling initiative to Ireland’s number one selling beer, making Guinness the first brand to supply full information about nutrition and alcohol on 500ml cans in the Republic of Ireland. 

The new labels are: “designed to help consumers understand what’s in their glass, provide consumers with nutritional information on contents including calories, carbohydrates, protein and sugar as well as grams of alcohol per serve and warnings on drink driving and consuming alcohol during pregnancy.” Guinness is the first global beer brand to provide consumers with this information, in a major expansion by Diageo of the hugely successful consumer-led initiative that was rolled out in Ireland last year on Smithwicks.