Did you know? Alcohol doesn’t kill brain cells!

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Whoooo, you’re getting woozy after that fourth pint and thinking, “I should stop drinking before I kill more of my brain cells”. Before you regret not ordering another pint, listen up! Luckily, this is a myth! Drinking alcohol, in whatever form, does not kill off brain cells!

Pure alcohol (not the stull in beer, wine, or liquor) like the stuff used for disinfecting in hospitals will kill brain cells (along with numerous other types of cells). Above all, brain cells aren’t being murdered when you visit the local brewery.

Instead, excessive drinking inhibits the ability of your brain cells to communicate with one another. The alcohol in your drink damages dendrites, which are parts of your neurons that collect electrochemical signals from other neurons. Your brain cells can’t talk to each other once these dendrites get damaged. Lucky for you, you have around 100 billion neurons sitting around in your noggin. Cutting back on excessive drinking can reverse this damage over time.

Why do I get a hangover after drinking?

The main cause of a hangover is dehydration. Alcohol increases urination frequency, lowers blood sugar and inhibits vasopressin (an antidiuretic that helps control fluid balance). It also does a number on your digestion. Alcohol irritates your stomach and intestinal lining causing inflammation. Alcohol also delays the emptying of your stomach so your liver can process the toxin. Combined these increase gastric secretions and can cause vomiting or nausea. (source)

No dead brain cells does not mean you should go to town and drown yourself in some suds. A recent paper in The Lancet suggested that no amount of alcohol is good for you ;( (source).

Interesting facts about the human body!