and when looking specifically at brain health, the research is
somewhat less peachy: a thirty-year study found that even
moderate alcohol drinkers (who consumed five to seven
drinks per week) had triple the risk of hippocampal
shrinkage than abstainers.^4
The psychological benefits of moderate alcohol
consumption as a social lubricant and de-stressor are not
trivial. In an ideal world, we would all have healthy stress-
coping mechanisms and drink minimally, having one to two
drinks per week at most—but we also aren’t living stress-
free existences, frolicking through the woods and picking
berries all day either. While I recommend abstaining from
alcohol, if you choose to imbibe, here are some tips to make
drinking as brain-healthy an experience as possible:
Always ensure that you go to sleep sober. Alcohol
markedly diminishes sleep quality and affects various
hormones that are released during sleep, notably
growth hormone.^5
Follow the “one-for-one” rule. In between each
drink, always consume a glass of water. Alcohol
irritates the gut and makes it harder to rehydrate once
the damage has been done.
Sprinkle a little salt in that water. Alcohol is a
diuretic, which can cause you to excrete electrolytes
like sodium. Make sure to replace what is lost with a
little salt.
Stick to red wine, dry white wine, or spirits. Stick
with the spirit of choice “on the rocks,” or with soda
water and a lime. Avoid sugary mixers like juice or