Alcohol abuse affects the body in many ways. In the brain's case, the effects can be devastating and permanent. Long term alcohol abuse has been shown in many brain studies to actually physically shrink the portion of the brain that controls the memory and learning functions. This decrease in area is most apparent in the cortex of the frontal lobe, which is the center of higher intellectual functions. The shrinkage of these areas will continue to grow with continued drinking and with age. The first noticeable sign of alcohol associated damage 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.
Any alcoholic who drinks larges amounts of alcohol over a long period of time is a candidate for alcohol related brain damage. How extensive the damage is depends on the system of the drinker, the type and amount of alcohol consumed, and diet that accompanies the chronic drinking.
Another contributor to brain damage is the nutritional problems that are created by alcohol consumption. Malnutrition is many times the result of drinking excessively. Essential parts of the brain experience damage due to vitamin deficiencies, thiamine in particular. Toxicity in the body's systems builds from alcohol, damaging vital organs such as the brain, liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
Alcohol also has a serious effect on the central nervous system.
If caught early enough, much of the alcohol damage can be reversible. Sometimes it will disappear entirely. The chance of reversal is greatly increased by stopping drinking completely, maintaining a healthy diet and taking vitamins, especially B1 and thiamine. Liver functions can even be repaired with a little known vitamin called milk thistle.
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