Four out of ten Germans drink alcohol at least once a week. This can have consequences for your health. An expert explains how to live abstinence.
One of the classic New Year’s resolutions is to drink less. Science journalist Bas Kast avoids alcohol entirely. In an interview with t-online, he explains his motivations and how he succeeded.
t-online: Mr. Kast, you used to drink alcohol every day. What is your favorite drink?
Bass Kast: I especially loved white wine, Riesling, sometimes a French Sancerre. Occasionally a cold Bavarian beer. But I rarely went overboard; my usual dose was two glasses a day. To relax from work stress.
What led to your decision to quit?
New research findings. For a long time, moderate consumption like the one I practiced was considered harmless – even healthy and kind to the heart. This has changed drastically in recent years. In the meantime, people are increasingly coming to the conclusion that every sip is harmful. So I stopped.
Bass Kast studied psychology and biology and works as a science journalist. In 2018 his book “The Nutritional Compass” was named “Knowledge Book of the Year”. His current book is called: “Why I don’t drink alcohol anymore.”
Given that I come from a wine family, this was surprisingly easy for me. My great-grandfather was a winegrower and I was a real wine lover for a long time. It was strange the first few days, after all the one or two glasses of wine were part of a relaxation ritual. But that was more psychological, I would say.
What happens to our bodies when we consume alcohol?
Alcohol is broken down in the mouth into an intermediate product called “acetaldehyde”. This has proven to be a highly toxic substance that can lead to chromosome damage and mutations. Alcohol therefore increases the risk of cancer at any dose, especially in the entire “digestive tube”, starting in the mouth, through the pharynx, swallowing intestine, stomach and large intestine. In women, alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer when consumed as little as three to six drinks per week. On the one hand, alcohol has a sedating effect on the brain, i.e. like a light anesthesia. On the other hand, it also relieves anxiety, relieves pain and is slightly euphoric.
How is this effect on the brain explained?
Alcohol molecules are very small and therefore easily penetrate the otherwise hermetically sealed brain. There, alcohol influences numerous messenger systems, such as dopamine, endorphins and glutamate. This broad effect on the brain makes alcohol a very powerful drug. However, with regular consumption, the brain reacts with countermeasures: the sedation as well as the euphoria are “combated”. When the effects of alcohol wear off, something like the opposite is left behind: we become increasingly irritable and down.
Do you know alcohol addicts?
Of course, I’m a psychologist from the background. I once knew an alcoholic who, for example, had to make sure that there wasn’t any alcohol in any of the sauces he was eating – that alone might have made him relapse. There is always a risk of dependency, even among people who believe they have everything under control. Many people see alcohol as a stimulant, but in fact it robs many people of their freedom. Anyone who is dependent is no longer free.
Above all, they emphasize the increasing risk of cancer with each glass…
Because we vastly underestimate this danger. Everyone knows that smoking increases the risk of cancer. But my after-work beer? In fact, British researchers have calculated the following: When it comes to cancer risk, there are about ten cigarettes in a bottle of wine for women and five for men. There are warnings on cigarette packs, but there are no warnings on alcohol. We make a difference in our society, but this difference does not exist for our body cells.
Do you have moments when you miss the alcohol?
I really have little need for quick, cheap dopamine hits. How much effort or courage does it take to uncork a bottle of wine? Is it brave if you need two or three drinks at a party before you dare to approach a woman? Or is it real courage if you soberly get your fear of rejection under control? When it comes to dealing with negative feelings, is alcohol a good strategy? Or is meditation, a jog or an ice bath better and more admirable? I’m not a fan of fleeting fun, I much prefer taking on a difficult challenge and growing from it.