7 Reasons Why Alcohol Is Not Good For You

It’s our most popular legal drug, but alcohol is linked to a range of health concerns, even when drunk in small amounts. Here’s what you need to know.

For most of us alcohol is part of every celebration and major event in our lives, as well as a stress-relief strategy, but are we really making an informed decision every time we drink? Find out here…

Shrinks your brain

You don’t have to drink every day to put yourself at risk for brain shrinkage that starts as subtle memory loss, leading over years to early-onset dementia. Three or four drinks most days or bingeing a couple of times a week is enough to cause irreversible damage.

According to the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, just one or two drinks can cause blurred vision, slurred speech, slower reaction times, impaired memory, and loss of balance.

Short-term effects disappear when the individual stops drinking, but long-term alcohol abuse may cause chronic brain disorders that are serious and debilitating.

Breast cancer risk

Alcohol consumption is a known cause of cancer, including cancers of the mouth and throat, which have a lower survival rate and tend to leave survivors debilitated. If you smoke as well as drink, your risk is much greater than either of those two risk factors alone, say experts.