PREVIEW Aliquot #59: How alcohol affects sleep, behavior, and cancer risk

The Aliquot Preview

Alcohol, one of the most used drugs worldwide, is a controversial subject. Whereas some research suggests drinking alcohol improves health, an abundance of evidence indicates that drinking alcohol also harms health. Particularly, higher alcohol intake is associated with an increased risk of many cancers. Some of the deleterious effects of drinking may be due to alcohol's effects on sleep. Although alcohol may help us feel calm and ready to sleep, it has surprising effects on REM sleep and maybe our waking behaviors too. In this Aliquot, we discuss some of the risks and surprising effects of alcohol on human health and behavior.

• (00:00) Introduction
• (00:57) Multiple drinks per day increases the risk of many cancers (Member Q&A segments)
• (07:16) Moderate alcohol consumption reduces cognitive impairment risk, heavy drinking increases it
• (08:58) Mild alcohol intake increases the likelihood of living to 90 and improves insulin sensitivity
• (11:30) Alcohol dampens autoimmunity, but increases infection risk
• (12:07) Take-home messages about breast cancer
• (14:38) Alcohol and four other factors that reduce sleep quality (Matthew Walker segments)
• (20:16) Alcohol is a sedative, but reduces sleep continuity and suppresses REM sleep

Watch the full Q&A featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick Watch the full interview featuring Dr. Walker Watch the full interview featuring Tim Ferris

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