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The Resulting Brain Damage from Alcohol Abuse

Brain imaging studies have proven that long term alcohol abuse can physically shrink the parts of the brain that control learning and memory. This shrinkage is greatest in the cortex of the frontal lobe which is the center of higher intellectual functions and naturally this shrinkage will grow with age and continued alcohol use. The first noticeable sign of damage from alcohol is short-term memory loss.

Progressive brain shrinkage was shown in a study that conducted periodic imaging in alcoholics over a five year period. The amount of brain shrinkage was directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed, but there was no question that the shrinkage far exceeded anything in the normal range.

Alcohol related brain damage possibly affect any alcoholic who consumes large amounts of alcohol over a period of time. Factors that determine the severity of the damage are the system of the drinker, the type and amount of alcohol consumed and the overall diet of the drinker.

Nutritional problems caused by alcohol consumption can also contribute to brain damage. If the individual drinks enough alcohol, malnutrition can actually be a result. Vital parts of the brain suffer damage due to vitamin deficiencies, particularly thiamine deficiency. Alcohol causes toxicity in the system during and after use, which damages vital organs such as the brain, liver, kidneys and pancreas.
Serious effects on the central nervous system are also the result of alcohol.

Much of the damage caused by alcohol is reversible if it is caught early enough. Sometimes it will disappear completely. Complete abstinence from alcohol, along with an improved diet and taking vitamins, especially thiamine, vitamin B1, will help this reversal. There is also a little known vitamin, milk thistle, that can help repair the liver functions.

Find out how to Stop Drinking Alcohol by Ed Philips and Quit Alcohol Today.