The Effects of Beer on the Brain

Studies have shown that consuming a small amount of beer can have positive health benefits. This amount is often argued, but most experts say that one to two glasses a day are considered moderate. Alcohol has numerous effects on the body and in particular the brain. If you consume too much alcohol, above the moderate amount, then you can put your health at risk.

Depressant

• The direct effect of alcohol on your brain is as a depressant. The nervous system's activity decreases when you consume alcohol. Even though many people become talkative and more outgoing while consuming alcohol, these behaviors are related to inhibition not to the depressant effect. Not only is your body in a depressed state, but so is your mind. Oftentimes when you drink too much, you can have memory loss and forgot what happened during your drinking binge.

Behavior

• Consumption of beer affects a person's behavior. How a person's behavior is affected is unique to each individual. Some people get very lively and talkative, while others become very cranky and quiet. Oftentimes, the mood that you are in before you drink affects your behavior after you have a few drinks.

Reaction Time

• Alcohol affects your body's ability to react. Since it is a depressant, it slows your body and the way that it reacts to a situation. You may loose your physical coordination and your ability to make decisions. For this reason, it is important not to drive a vehicle while you are drinking. People who drink often and consume high quantities of alcohol tend to be risk takers and are more aggressive than others.

Brain Damage

• Alcoholics and people who consume high quantities of alcohol have an increased risk for brain damage. When you consume alcohol on a frequent basis, you are depleting your brain of the necessary nutrients that it needs. If you don't allow your brain to heal from one drinking episode to the next, then you will increase your chances of damaging your brain. Drinking can also lead to alcohol poisoning, which can lead to a coma and eventually death.