Drinking This Amount Of Alcohol Increases Your Dementia Risk By 17%
As of late, we’ve heard more and more evidence that any amount of alcohol can be damaging to the brain. But what does that mean for brain longevity? And how much is too much, exactly?
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Alcohol consumption & dementia risk
In a recent episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola outlined the impact that moderate alcohol consumption (i.e., seven alcoholic beverages a week) can have on global cognitive function.
“I'm very honest when I say no amount of alcohol is good for the brain. When you sit in [the moderate drinking] category, [the scientific literature] shows that you can literally have low-level brain damage. You are killing the neurons in your brain,” Nicola explains, referencing a 2022 1Nature Communications1 review1 . “So, drinking is not good for you,” she expounds.
Unsurprisingly, the impact of alcohol on overall brain function can play into dementia risk as well. In fact, the Lancet updated its dementia prevention review in 2020 to add three new modifiable risk factors of dementia: air pollution, traumatic brain injury, and excessive alcohol consumption. Researchers found that consuming more than 21 units (more on that quantity in a minute) of alcoholic drinks per week increases dementia risk by 17%2.
Cutting back on your drinking is especially beneficial for reducing risk of developing early-onset dementia (the prevalence of which increased 200% between 2013 and 2017), per a 2018 retrospective cohort study conducted in France. Of the 57,353 early-onset dementia cases analyzed by researchers, 38.9% were alcohol-related3 and an additional 17.6% had a coexisting diagnosis of alcohol misuse disorder.
How much alcohol is too much?
This isn’t prohibition, and we certainly aren’t telling you how much alcohol you should or shouldn’t consume. That said, the science shows there’s certainly an association with moderate drinking and cognitive impairment midlife and beyond.
If you’re looking to enjoy some social time with libations without increasing your risk of dementia and other cognitive issues, less than 21 units of alcohol per week seems to be the magic number to be the magic number. That can mean approximately:
- 12 (330ml) bottles of beer or hard cider
- 9 (440ml) cans of beer or hard cider
- 7 pints of beer or hard cider with a higher ABV (over 5.5%)
- 10 standard-size glasses of red, white, or rosé wine
- 7 large glasses of red, white, or rosé wine
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Of course, alcohol consumption isn’t the only factor that affects cognitive function and longevity. Taking a holistic approach to supporting your brain—i.e., eating plenty of brain-healthy foods, getting adequate restful sleep, prioritizing regular movement, reducing stress, and even taking a high-quality brain health supplement (like one that features citcoline, an ingredient that promotes memory, increases mental energy, and bolsters neuronal health and function)—is the best way to successfully combat brain aging and help prevent dementia.
The takeaway
It’s time for us to face the truth—alcohol isn’t the best for our brains. But like anything else that challenges our brain (or overall) longevity, moderation is key.
If you’re curious about taking a break from alcohol entirely, check out this personal story from Ruby Warrington, the leader of the Sober Curious movement: The Road To Sober Curiosity: How I Realized Alcohol Was Holding Me Back
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Morgan Chamberlain is a supplement editor at mindbodygreen. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in magazine journalism and a minor in nutrition. Chamberlain believes in taking small steps to improve your well-being—whether that means eating more plant-based foods, checking in with a therapist weekly, or spending quality time with your closest friends. When she isn’t typing away furiously at her keyboard, you can find her cooking in the kitchen, hanging outside, or doing a vinyasa flow.