David Nutt, a renowned professor of neuropsychopharmacology, discusses the nuanced world of alcohol and its effects on health. He explores the reasons people develop a taste for what is essentially a poison and how it impacts both body and mind. Nutt highlights alcohol's surprising health consequences, including its links to cancer and stroke. He advises on safe drinking practices and shares insights into the growing trend of reducing alcohol consumption. Plus, he reveals his work on synthetic alcohol that mimics its relaxing effects without the downsides.
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insights INSIGHT
Rising Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption in the West is generally high, with 10-15% of adults experiencing alcohol-related problems.
The rise is attributed to lower prices relative to inflation and increased availability, especially in supermarkets.
insights INSIGHT
Alcohol's Hidden Dangers
Alcohol, a drug often overlooked due to its social acceptance, has significant health risks.
The alcohol industry promotes "responsible drinking," shifting the onus of responsibility to consumers while downplaying risks.
insights INSIGHT
Alcohol's Acquired Taste
Alcohol's burning sensation is due to its toxicity, irritating nerves in the mouth like it does on skin.
The acquired taste for alcohol develops as people associate the initial unpleasantness with the subsequent pleasurable effects.
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In *Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Health*, Professor David Nutt examines the impact of alcohol on health, covering topics such as hormones, mental health, fertility, and addiction. The book offers a comprehensive look at alcohol's effects on the body and society, empowering readers to make informed decisions about their alcohol intake. Nutt's work is grounded in decades of research and clinical experience.
As the title of his book — Drink?— suggests, world-renowned professor of neuropsychopharmacology David Nutt thinks the cost/benefit analysis around consuming alcohol is an open question. He's not anti-alcohol — he regularly drinks himself — but he also thinks most people (more than 2/3 of folks around the world have had a drink in the past year) need to understand a lot more about drinking than they typically do in order to make an informed choice as to whether, and how much, to partake.
To that end, today on the show Dr. Nutt shares the ins and outs of something he calls both a fantastic, and a horrible, drug. We discuss how people acquire a taste for something that initially registers as a toxic poison and how alcohol affects the body and mind. We then delve into alcohol's long-term health consequences, including its link to cancer, the fact that it kills more people via stroke than by cirrhosis, the way it has a feminizing effect on men, and what it does to your sleep. We discuss what influences someone’s chances of becoming alcoholic, and signs that you’ve got a drinking problem. David also argues that drinking has some benefits, and offers suggestions on how to imbibe alcohol in a way that helps manage its risks. We end our conversation with why more people are curbing their drinking, and the synthetic alcohol David is developing that mimics the relaxing effects of alcohol, without its negative downsides.
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