Prevention of Brain Damage from Alcohol

[Proteus]

Is there any proven way to prevent brain damage from alcohol, for example through combination with supplements?

[the tree]

You do kind of have to drink a lot to cause long term brain damage so I'd say the best way would be less alcohol.

[pioneer]

Simply drinking a beer does not cause brain damage. Brain damage is caused by excessive usage, either in "pass-out sittings" or over the long haul. Up to 1-2 drinks per day seems to be fine and may have benefits.

 

Those who are alcoholics, who stop, can usually resume normal lives. The brain does not appear to need all the original brain cells to do basic human tasks. The brain can reroute resources. There was a person who had a metal rod stuck in their head, which caused the loss of many brain cells; almost half the brain. Their brain rerouted and they were able to function. I assume the brain will needs time to reroute.

 

Here is an interesting, and related angle, connected to the impact of alcohol. Alcohol lowers inhibitions. This makes it harder to hide behind a social mask. As people get drunk, what can be easily hidden behind a mask, often starts to come out into the open. It is easier for anyone to maintain deception, if one does not drink alcohol. I am not saying non-drinker are deceptive. Just lack of alcohol, makes this easier, if one is that way.

 

For example, two people may not like each other, but they might put up a front in social situations. If we give them enough alcohol, that wall comes down and they will say what is hidden behind the curtain of pretense. They will touch reality. It would interesting to get a PC person drunk to learn what goes on behind their curtain.

 

This pulling away of the curtain is often why people drink. A social mask can be individual and/or collective. It can be strong and can have an impact on behavior; inhibitions, etc. Once buzzed, that curtain can be pulled back and the someone else, below, comes out.

 

However, too much alcohol reality can harm the brain cells.

[Genecks]

Can't say I agree, pioneer. Methylation caused by alcohol consumption may decrease memory retainment.

[Proteus]

I did read that alcohol doesn't destroy the neurons themselves, only the dendrites, and that these dendrites, unlike neurons, could regrow; when they do, however, they may do so in another way than the original way, causing loss of earlier memories.

 

This may be somewhat compared to the brain damage from extasy: the serotonergic axons regrow after they've been destroyed, but in the wrong direction, with nearby areas becoming hyperinnervated and more distant areas remaining denervated.

[Mr Skeptic]

Is there any proven way to prevent brain damage from alcohol,

 

The obvious one is to reduce the amount of alcohol ingested; generally this also has positive economic effects.

 

for example through combination with supplements?

 

I suspect injecting yourself with this enzyme would help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_metabolism

Ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde via the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase IB (class I), beta polypeptide (ADH1B).