A new study in mice reveals that alcohol triggers immune cells called microglia to dismantle the brain's extracellular matrix, a structural support system for brain cells, which directly leads to loss of synapses and cognitive impairment.

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139

u/ripplenipple69 15h ago

Funnily enough, this is also considered to be a critical mechanism through which psychedelics drive neuroplasticity. Strokes/ ischemia-repurfusion do it too.. Temporarily disrupting perineuronal nets is required for significant neuroplasticity, and directly facilitate it, but without the induction of plasticity part you lose structure and things can go awry. See the RNA seq data from Gul Dolens’ recent work on psychedelic induction of critical period-like plasticity for the psychedelic reference

26

u/Brrdock 13h ago

So drinking on psychedelics is great?

51

u/FibroBitch97 11h ago

I cannot emphasize enough how bad of an idea this is.

20

u/Lexam 6h ago

You did not emphasize enough. Now everyone is going to be drinking and doing psychedelics tonight because of you.

9

u/GardenofGandaIf 6h ago

In terms of drugs concoctions, alcohol and psychedelics really isnt even that concerning. Alcohol actually tends to reduce anxiety and decrease the odds of a bad trip.

3

u/ImperialTzarNicholas 4h ago

Wait …. So instructions are NOT drinking and psychedelics ? Still unclear

2

u/ziroux 5h ago

Instructions unclear, drank some psychedelics

1

u/comfortableNihilist 1h ago

Where'd you even get that jug of LSD?

14

u/stupid_pun 10h ago

You could express a little more than that, I think. I would find some elaboration on why that is very interesting.

5

u/brit_jam 11h ago

So much so that you left the same comment twice.

1

u/GentlemenHODL 2h ago

I cannot emphasize enough how bad of an idea this is.

Why? If your coming down and things are alright sometimes it's nice to help wind down.

Don't do it often but have done it many times over 20 years with no noticable harm.

-1

u/Hairy_Talk_4232 12h ago

I imagine a glass of higher quality red wine as a primer before psychedelics would be ideal.

-2

u/FibroBitch97 11h ago

I cannot emphasize enough how bad of an idea this is.

6

u/GearOk7360 5h ago

You don't know how to party

2

u/Hairy_Talk_4232 11h ago

Fair, I am no scientific expert. I do not mean to say anyone should use my imagination as advice.

221

u/kowycz 15h ago

Alcohol has been taking a lot of, deserved hard losses lately.

85

u/JksG_5 14h ago

Keeps me motivated to stay sober tbh

69

u/lampsbane 14h ago

Same. Was ten years sober but relapsed recently. Going sober again as of yesterday. Hope I can do it again.

19

u/iago_williams 14h ago

You can do it!

5

u/lampsbane 7h ago

Thank you, kind stranger!

30

u/WindWalker2291 13h ago edited 13h ago

Let me help you:

No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health – World Health Organization

1) ... when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.

2) Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago – this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer. Ethanol (alcohol) causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body, which means that any beverage containing alcohol, regardless of its price and quality, poses a risk of developing cancer.

3

u/lampsbane 7h ago

I'm aware of the dangers. It's even worse for me since I have Lupus. But it's good to get this information out for people who may not know, so thank you.

1

u/Apprehensive_Rice19 3h ago

You did it before, you can do it again. One decade at a time, my friend.

48

u/manachar 13h ago

Enough that I worry the studies are being inferred more broadly than the studies can support.

For example, studies in the 70s and 80s reported on the downsides of dietary fats.

But this lead medical journalism and the food industry to train people that all fat is bad and food shouldn’t have fat.

Dose makes the poison seems to be tough enough for people to figure out.

It’s even harder when things have good things and bad things.

For example, we know that alcohol can assist in forming social groups. Basically it disinhibits parts of us that stop us from socializing. It also boosts the parts of our brains that releases happiness when interacting with people.

Nowadays younger kids are avoiding alcohol, but also feeling lonelier than any previous generation. I suspect these are partially related and considering we know the medical downsides of loneliness some alcohol is likely still beneficial.

All of that says alcohol has lots that is bad. But we may be missing a complete picture for health.

9

u/deepandbroad 6h ago

Before social media, and cell phones, people could party and be underage or whatever and there was no evidence the next day beyond a few empty bottles.

People could consume alcohol and "party" in a relaxed and low-stress way, make friends, and have fun.

Now cell phones and social media can raise the stakes of every interaction, leaving lots of evidence of every action long after the fun is gone.

So one moment of letting your guard down with alcohol and lead to lasting negative impacts at critical points in your life.

Get tipsy and don't choose your words wisely or do something dumb? Congratulations this is now on video and lots of people will see it before they ever meet you.

-2

u/thathz 5h ago

Basically it disinhibits parts of us that stop us from socializing. It also boosts the parts of our brains that releases happiness when interacting with people.

We have non toxic alternatives.

1

u/[deleted] 13h ago

[deleted]

7

u/notmyfault 10h ago

I think strays represent undeserved hits. Like getting hit by a stray bullet. In this case alcohol is taking the hits it deserves.

2

u/botany_bae 9h ago

True (he says as he sips his tequila)

1

u/onexbigxhebrew 6h ago

Nah, that's not what that means.

24

u/metalmankam 14h ago

I'm gonna start using that. "I'm not drinking, I'm triggering my microglia"

19

u/TonyDoover420 13h ago

A loss of cognitive impairment sounds great!

3

u/ibangedthetwocoreys 16h ago

Without an Oxford Comma the title reads like alcohol triggers a reduction in cognitive impairment.

25

u/DeliciousPumpkinPie 15h ago

…where are you suggesting an Oxford comma would go? There isn’t a three-item list here.

21

u/MangoCandy93 15h ago

This is a comma splice, not a list; there’s nowhere for an Oxford comma to go.

6

u/HoboBronson 14h ago

Not the right situation for an Oxford

2

u/onexbigxhebrew 6h ago

"I don't know what an Oxford comma is but I'm a redditor; send it"

1

u/ShamrockAPD 14h ago

What do you think an Oxford comma actually is?

2

u/BOOTY_POPPN_THIZZLES 10h ago

how does this work with things like a glass of wine which does provide some health benefits?

3

u/hudnix 6h ago

But it really doesn't.

4

u/Hot-Bit727 8h ago

Both things can be true at once but the negative aspects may outweigh any health benefit.

3

u/thathz 5h ago

This is a myth. Non drinkers are often former alcoholics or people with health condictions making mild drinkers healthier on average.

Alcohol is a carcinogen and directly toxic to maltiple organs.

2

u/PhasmaFelis 8h ago

That's not actually true. A study showed that people who drink a glass of wine every day have better health outcomes. Turns out that's because people who can afford to drink a glass of wine every day can afford better lifelong health care.

1

u/iamnotpedro1 4h ago

But they still have that advantage, in spite of the alcohol being bad.

0

u/PhasmaFelis 4h ago

The advantage has nothing to do with the alcohol.

Drinking a glass of wine daily is always bad for your health, in a very minor way, but having money is good for your health in a much larger way that hides the downside of the alcohol.

1

u/dittybag23 1h ago

I take a GLP1 and it significantly reduces my craving for alcohol.

1

u/JefferyGoldberg 1h ago

Oh yes, the extracelluar matrix…

1

u/Marileuis 10h ago

I would send this to my mom but she would yell at me

1

u/Bananonomini 5h ago

It's been a while since I heard of extracellular matrix

Neuroscience A new study in mice reveals that alcohol triggers immune cells called microglia to dismantle the brain's extracellular matrix, a structural support system for brain cells, which directly leads to loss of synapses and cognitive impairment.

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