Over the summer months many of us have spent time relaxing on the many welcoming pavement cafés across Flanders. Some people stick to a coffee or a glass of mineral water, but beer and wine are also part and parcel of our culture. However, GP Sophie Tobback warns that every glass of alcohol comes with consequences. "Brain cells die with every glass you drink" says the family doctor, who specialises in problems related to alcohol.
As a GP specialising in alcohol-related problems, Sophie Tobback works with people with dementia. There, every day she witnesses the long-term effects of alcohol. "One third of the people admitted here have an alcohol-related problem. The distressing thing is that these are people aged between 60 and 70, ten years younger than the average age of Alzheimer's disease patients. These people have lost every sense of time and space."
10 glasses a week tops
Ten glasses of alcohol a week tops, that's the official guideline from the Flemish Centre of Expertise on Alcohol and Other Drugs. If you exceed this amount, you know that you are harming your body. "Most people know that alcohol is bad for the liver, but it also damages the brain. With every glass of alcohol, brain cells die" Sophie notes.
Alcohol has both short-term and long-term effects. "In the short term, it involves loss of control, which increases the risk of accidents. In the long term, it causes liver and brain damage. Alcohol fattens your liver, which can lead to liver cirrhosis. Tumours can also start to develop in the dry, dead tissue, in which case it is liver cancer."
In addition, alcohol damages your brain. "That happens insidiously. Each glass does a little bit of damage. The more you drink, the greater the chance of confusion, character disorders and, in very serious cases, dementia. This happens without you realising it, the main damage is only really visible after 20 years. So, with every glass you drink you actually need to ask yourself: is it worth it considering the brain damage this is causing"
Hopeful news
Dr Tobback is annoyed by the way alcohol is still treated. "If you listen to youth radio stations, alcohol is often discussed. Presenters speak of the relaxing effect of alcohol but don’t mention the toxic effect alcohol has."
"What does make me hopeful is that more and more people are choosing not to drink any more alcohol. Nowadays, everyone knows someone who doesn't drink or drinks very little. If you decide to stop drinking alcohol, you will find someone close to you, who is there to support you. Ten years ago, that was unthinkable."
Controlled drinking of alcohol is possible, but stick to these rules:
Don't drink more than 10 glasses of alcohol per week.
Definitely try not to drink anything for a few days. Rather have a few days of no alcohol and then one day drinking 2 or 3 glasses, than a glass every day.
Do not drink alone, always in company.
Definitely do not give alcohol to children. The younger they start drinking, the more likely they are likely to develop an alcohol addiction.
