Does Drinking Alcohol Kill Brain Cells?

It's a nuanced distinction, but, excessive alcohol consumption can damage, not kill, adult brain cells. According to recent medical studies, excessive drinking can definitely cause damage to brain cells, specifically the dendrites that help carry signals through a person's central nervous system. This contributes to common issues related to drunkenness, including a lack of coordination, and learning and memory retention problems. Young people, including teenagers, whose brains are still developing are at risk, however, for more serious brain damage due to alcohol consumption, but an adult with a developed brain does not kill brain cells by drinking.

More to consider about drinking alcohol :

• While alcohol consumption does not kill brain cells in adults, excessive drinking can result in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which does kill brain cells.


• Other medical issues, such as liver disease, can be the result of alcohol abuse.


• Some studies have shown that moderate and responsible drinking of alcohol in adults helps prolong healthy brain function into old age, but this research emphasizes responsibility and maturity in alcohol consumption.