While women typically start drinking at an older age, consume less and are less likely to develop alcohol dependence than are men,
women's brains are more vulnerable to the ravages of excessive drinking.
Using computerized tomography scans, German researchers examined the brains of 158 subjects – both genders, both alcoholic and control - and found that women drinkers developed brain atrophy faster than their male counterparts. Lead researcher Karl Mann observed, “Women developed equal brain-volume reductions as the men after a significantly shorter period of alcohol dependence than the men.” In other words: heavy drinking hurts women's brains more quickly than men's.
Mann explains that women had a “telescoping” effect, meaning “faster progression of the developmental events leading to dependence... and an earlier onset of adverse consequences.” In non-science speak, women slid downhill faster than men even though their exposure to alcohol was shorter. These findings support previous research showing that despite a shorter exposure to alcohol, women experience cognitive deficits, liver damage and other impairments earlier than men.
In past issues of the DNN, we’ve discussed the dubious benefits of alcohol consumption for women. Most of the research regarding alcohol’s effects in raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels looks at men and postmenopausal women. Not only is there little evidence to suggest that alcohol consumption in younger women has any benefit—other studies associate younger women’s alcohol consumption with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Now, a new Harvard study confirms the risk for younger women while casting the shadow of breast cancer risk over older women’s purported heart benefits.
Tracking over 120,000 women for 25 years, researchers found those who consumed more than two drinks daily were almost 40% more likely to develop breast cancer, while those who limited their consumption to a glass or two a day still faced a 21% higher risk. Postmenopausal women had a greater risk with a smaller amount of alcohol - drinking just half a glass daily raised their risk of breast cancer by almost 20%. That’s much less than the standard recommendation of “moderate” intake equaling one glass daily for women.
Bottom line: Regardless of age, regular alcohol use increases women’s risk of breast cancer while accelerating brain atrophy. A much healthier way to raise your HDL levels (the touted health benefit of moderate alcohol intake) is exercise.