The leader shows that style is no substitute for substance, that creating an impression is not more potent than acting from one’s center.
Lao Tzu
Light to moderate drinking triggers “feel good chemicals” in the brain that can reduce anxiety, but heavier amounts don’t release these chemicals, according to a new study.
Drinking’s allegedly good and bad effects have been discussed in many studies, but Canadian scientists say they have found that while low and moderate doses of alcohol produce a general feeling of well-being, having just a tad too much alcohol might reinforce the desire for more. It also may trigger depression.
Christina Gianoulakis, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and physiology at McGill University in Toronto, published the findings in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption alter beta-endorphin release in a region of the brain linked to drug and alcohol addiction.
Researchers don’t know the mechanisms responsible for the fact that some people can stop after one of two drinks while others cannot stop.