Effect of alcohol on the brain: Alcohol is harmful for the body, but people think that it only damages the liver. Alcohol is most dangerous for the liver, but it also affects your heart and mind. Drinking alcohol significantly increases the risk of heart disease. According to health experts, the brain is as sensitive to the harm caused by alcohol as the liver and heart. Even small amounts of alcohol affect brain activity and the ability to absorb and remember information.

These changes may seem minor in the beginning, but alcohol affects the functioning of the brain on a daily basis.

effect of alcohol on brain
One of the first brain structures to be affected by alcohol is the hippocampus, which plays a key role in memorization and learning processes. This part of the brain destroys brain cells. This makes it difficult for you to remember daily events. This is a kind of blackout in which you remain awake and active but you do not remember anything. This reduces memory and causes a feeling of unconsciousness.

Decreased concentration and decision making ability
Alcohol doesn’t just weaken the memory. It also affects the frontal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for attention, planning, judgment and impulse control. Cognitive decline is not just a decline in memory. This can make things like understanding conversations, remembering names, making decisions or solving simple problems, now taking longer and becoming more difficult. Over time, this can make it difficult to concentrate, multitask, and make good decisions at work, school, or during everyday activities.

alcohol spoils sleep
Many people think that drinking alcohol helps in better sleep, but it actually affects the quality of sleep. According to Dr Pandita, alcohol disrupts both deep sleep and REM sleep, which are the stages that help consolidate memories and restore brain functions. This poor quality sleep can make people feel less able to concentrate, think slower, and be less able to learn new information the next day.

Vitamin deficiency in the body due to drinking alcohol
By repeatedly drinking excessive alcohol, the level of Vitamin B1 i.e. Thiamine in the body starts decreasing. Which is an essential nutrient for healthy brain functioning. Thiamine deficiency can damage parts of the brain involved in memory and cognitive function, increasing the risk of serious neurological disorders such as Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome.

Effect is different on different people
The effect of alcohol is different on every person. The longer they drink alcohol, the greater the amount they drink, the greater the risk of declining health. Age, pre-existing health problems, heredity and nutrition also influence the brain’s response to alcohol.

how to protect your brain
Doctor Pandita told that forgetfulness, lack of concentration and reduced thinking ability should not always be ignored by considering it as old age or busy lifestyle. Alcohol can also be a cause of forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, reduced thinking ability or marked changes in decision making. In such a situation, stay away from alcohol and adopt a healthy lifestyle.