Scientists in Germany have found that only six minutes after consuming the equivalent of three glasses of beer or two glasses of wine, changes are already taking place in brain cells — proving one drink really can go to your head, the UK's Daily Telegraph reports.
Fifteen volunteers consumed varying amounts of alcohol while lying under an MRI scanner, allowing scientists at the Heidelberg University Hospital to monitor any changes in their brain cells.
The results of the study, published in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, demonstrate that chemicals normally released by the body to protect brain cells were reduced as the blood-alcohol level increased. The researchers also found these effects may be short-lived initially, but over time the brain cells took longer to repair themselves.
"The acute effects demonstrated in our study could possibly form the basis for the permanent brain damage that is known to occur in alcoholics," Dr Armin Biller, a neurologist at the hospital. "This should be clarified in future studies."
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