Yes, quite appreciable in some younger people who have alcohol issues, but probably not all. The question is why? Are some of those more dependent on their alcohol simply not eating well balanced nutritional food (poverty?) whereas others might be avoiding atrophy because they eat well and are more affluent? Or is it simply genetic susceptibility?
Must try that Aldi one - Waitrose cloudy lemonade is pretty good too and just over a quid last time I got it.
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Good news is brain shrinkage from alcohol may be partially reversible.
āStudies have shown that within weeks of abstinence, brain volume can increase, and brain tissue density can improve, suggesting recovery of brain health with reduced or ceased drinking.ā
Not questioning, but can you cite a source for that? Very interesting but almost implies over such a short period that it reflects improvements after chronic alcohol related dehydration.
No doubt several organs are more resilient than we used to think and can recover a little with appropriate measures.
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Re: alcohol and sugar: for several months after I quit drinking, I could taste the sugars in everything. I remember eating a lettuce leaf and thinking, man, this tastes so sweet ā¦ Sadly that heightened perception has faded away. It would be cool to still have that, and Iād likely be skinnier.
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Beers at 4% alcohol by volume are relatively quite high strength in British beer traditions. Regular English Bitters are around. 3.2 to 3.8% ABV with a specific gravity of around 1032. Higher strength Best Bitters typically vary between 3.8 and 4.5%ABV. Traditional Milds are considered usually lower alcohol beers.. at around 3% ABV, though there are some high strength variants at upto 4% ABV. The regular lower alcohol variants make a great summer beer drink..
Obviously mixing a beer to a shandy halves the ABV, for bitters down to 1.6 to 1.9 % ABVā¦ I would never never mix a mild shandy. Bitter shandies are another great summer drink.
Itās a few years since I let my CAMRA membership lapse 
, but they can provide a lot more info on the range of British beer strengths
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Interesting that you say this. I recently listened to a guy talk about the finding that low amounts of alcohol are actually beneficial. Thereās a few problems with the studies that show this. There are a significant proportion of non-drinkers that were once big drinkers or canāt drink due to some health issues/medication use. This confounds the results and when adjusted for, completely alters the findings with the outcome being that no amount of alcohol offers any benefit. 
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I remember in my 30ās and 40ās I use to drink Carlsberg Elephant beer at 8.3% alcohol
Iād be dead in 30 seconds if I did that now 
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Has the French Paradox been explained?
Indeed, I used to occasionally enjoy Carlsberg Special Brew (7.5% ABV) when younger, which is a very strong lager in the Danish tradition.. apparently created in 1950 to commemorate Winston Churchillās visit to Copenhagen.
Not sure I would enjoy it so much now.
4% and below is not high in strength even in the UK. When the Trappist monks at Tynt Meadow Brewery who are given a beer allowance wanted a lower strength beer than the regular 7.2% ale, a 5.5% session beer was brewed for them.
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I can recommend the following webinar by a good friend and fellow member of the EBCU - āBeer, Health and Wellbeingā by Claus-Christian Carbon. Itās on YouTube and less than an hour long.
Sorry but most milds are between 3.2 to 4% ABV and the term relates more to the palate (lightly hopped) than the strength as some classic examples like Sarah Hughes weigh in at 6%.
European beer consumers union. I suppose if I were to defend alcohol consumption, that is the approach I would also use. Of course there are social aspects to consider but it doesnāt make it healthy.
I had a few beers last night over dinner with friends. Did it improve the night and the social connection? Not really. But I slept terrible, as I always do after a few beers. I donāt think itāl be long before I stop completely. It gets worse as I get older.
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Thatās pretty much it
Perhaps good to note that thatās the original gravity (before fermentation), a 1.032 (note the decimal point) final gravity would be quite sugary. Even most imperial stouts donāt end up that high. BJCP has OG at 1.030-1.038 and FG at 1.008-1.013.
Of course historically styles werenāt strictly defined, so thereās a lot of overlap and exceptions. (Look for example at stouts and porters) The definitions were retroactively determined. And thereās no legal protection, I can brew a hazy IPA and call it a mild. Iām not saying it isnāt a mild, but 6% is quite far from the norm.
And yet Iāve read that drinking less than 10 units per week can prolong your life, something that has made me wonder if being teetotal is as good for me as Iād thought.
My last alcoholic drink was 6th December 2019 before a Primal Scream gig in Leeds. Iād really reduced my drinking prior to that as I just wasnāt enjoying it anymore. I donāt know if Iāll never drink again, but at the moment I really donāt want one.
Covid, then later a change in family circumstances have led to me becoming a carer (without realising thatās what was happening initially). The result of that is I havenāt had a holiday since 2019. When I eventually get away again Iāll know if I really have had my last alcoholic drink. I used to really enjoy a cold one sat in the shade, watching the world go by ā¦
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**"Genetics, luck, lifestyle, and a solid understanding of how the human body works ā these are the key factors when it comes to maintaining good health.
According to my doctors, Iām something of an anomaly. At seventy-four, Iām the only patient in their GP practice to have reached this age without ever experiencing illness or requiring a single prescription."
I would advise anyone drinking well over the recommended maximum number of units per week that has high blood pressure to just have a think about cutting back and actively drive your blood pressure down to a healthy reading. I probably consumed way more than I should over 40yrs with no ill effects or symptoms then one day without warning my heart stopped. Subsequent scans detected a weak heart muscle, never previously diagnosed. No explanation for the cause could be given but the only facts available were high blood pressure and alcohol. So I have cut down to around 12units per week. My blood pressure remains healthy now every time I check, I sleep better every night and donāt crave alcohol at all. Itās worth considering believe me. 
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Itās important to remember thereās a lot of nonsense online and in historical literature wrt alcohol.