It is well known and it is scientifically documented, actively and passively, that excessive and prolonged intake of ethanol – the form of alcohol in beverages – not only ends up damaging the liver or the circulatory system, but also negatively affects our nervous system and produces brain atrophy . However, a new study that has just appeared in the journal Scientific Reports shows for the first time, in the words of Maiken Nedegaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center (USA) and director of research, that “low doses of alcohol are potentially beneficial for the brain and improve its ability to eliminate the garbage that accumulates .”
The research of Nedegaard and his colleagues has put the magnifying glass on the glymphatic system , a mechanism for cleaning debris – fluid and extracellular substances – that was precisely described by the same team of scientists in 2012. They then demonstrated that cerebrospinal fluid is the which is responsible for expelling harmful compounds such as beta-amyloid and tau proteins (the main suspects for causing Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia) from brain tissue. Further research suggests that the glymphatic system is damaged by seizures and trauma and strengthens while we sleep or exercise.
Support for model “J”
The results of the new research led by Nedegaard indicate that excessive alcohol ingestion for long periods of time in mice impairs their cognitive abilities and increases the levels of inflammation in astrocytes, a type of nerve cells – different from neurons – key to the “garbage collection system” in the mammalian brain to function properly. But the researchers also found, to their surprise, that mice exposed to low doses – 0.5 g / kg – had less inflammation in astrocytes when molecular markers were compared with “abstainers” congeners. Additionally, the cerebrospinal fluid from moderate drinkers was also more efficient at flowing through nervous tissue and expelling waste.
According to Nedergaard, his work supports the “J-shaped model,” meaning that drinking alcohol can be beneficial in small amounts, but its harmful health effects skyrocket above a threshold. Previous studies have already pointed out that low to moderate intake was associated with a lower risk of suffering from dementia , while prolonged abuse of the drink increased the chances of suffering a cognitive decline. “Our work could help explain why such a thing occurs,” says Nedegaard.
