After ingestion, alcohol gets to the brain how quickly?
Only six minutes after consuming an amount of alcohol equivalent to three glasses of beer or two glasses of wine, leading to a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.06 percent, changes have already taken place in the brain cells, as the scientists in Heidelberg proved using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
Well, now we have confirmation on the timeless classic “candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker”. What we are really concerned about are the effects of alcohol, not just the speed at which it does its magic.
Is all consumption of alcohol harmful for the brain? “Our follow-ups on the next day showed that the shifts in brain metabolites after moderate consumption of alcohol by healthy persons are completely reversible,” says Dr. Armin Biller. “However, we assume that the brain’s ability to recover from the effect of alcohol decreases or is eliminated as the consumption of alcohol increases. The acute effects demonstrated in our study could possibly form the basis for the permanent brain damage that is known to occur in alcoholics.
In conclusion, drinking a bit is fine, drinking to excess has long term negative consequences. We have a ton of respect for those German researchers who have bravely discovered how to get the university budget to cover their bar tab.