After 65, the body tolerates alcohol much worse - and even small doses that previously seemed "safe" can become a risk factor for injuries, cognitive impairment and dangerous interactions with medications. Neurologists and nutritionists warn about this, emphasizing that in older age, alcohol is not a "pleasure in moderation", but a toxic load on the body. Doctors advise either to completely abandon alcohol after 65, or to leave it only for rare occasions.
Experts explain that with age, not only the feeling of intoxication changes, but also the way the body generally works with alcohol. The liver and kidneys remove toxins more slowly, muscle mass decreases, the proportion of fluid in the body drops. As a result, the same amount of alcohol gives a higher concentration in the blood than at a younger age, and therefore a stronger and longer-lasting effect.
Doctors warn: even small portions of alcohol after 65 years of age can impair coordination, provoke weakness and dizziness. This is especially dangerous due to the fragility of bones in old age. Any fall can result in a fracture, long-term loss of mobility and even disability. That is, what at 30–40 years of age would end with a bruise, at 70 may end with hip surgery.
Another risk factor is the interaction of alcohol with regular medications. In older age, people often take blood pressure medications, heart medications, anticoagulants, painkillers, and tranquilizers. Alcohol can enhance the sedative effect, sharply lower blood pressure, cause disorientation or imbalance. Doctors warn: this is not just a “head spinning”, this is a real risk of fainting and injury.
A separate topic is the brain. Regular alcohol consumption accelerates memory loss, affects the ability to concentrate and increases the risk of cognitive disorders, including dementia. Alcohol is essentially a neurotoxin: it damages nerve cells, affects chemical processes in the brain and can worsen existing problems with sleep, mood and attention. At this age, even a “glass of wine in the evening” is no longer about the “heart” but about additional pressure on the nervous system.
Because of this, experts are increasingly recommending that older people change their approach: instead of "alcohol in moderation is beneficial" - "alcohol after 65 is undesirable." As an alternative, what is actually associated with better health indicators in old age is proposed: a diet based on fish, vegetables, legumes and whole grains (the Mediterranean diet), sufficient hydration, regular moderate physical activity, normal sleep and blood pressure control. This is directly linked to better vascular health and a lower risk of cognitive decline.
Doctors also emphasize another critical age group — teenagers. Unlike people 65+, where the issue is vulnerability, for children and teenagers the issue is brain development.
At the age of 15–17, the brain is actively forming. It is during this period that the areas responsible for memory, self-control, and emotional regulation mature. Alcohol at this time interferes with the normal maturation of the nervous system. Even occasional use can slow brain development, impair concentration, make learning difficult, and affect emotional stability and hormonal balance.
In addition, early exposure to alcohol is directly linked to the risk of addiction in adulthood. The earlier a teenager starts drinking, the higher the chances of developing a stable alcohol addiction in adulthood. That is why doctors formulate a strict position: alcohol is completely contraindicated for children and adolescents.
The general conclusion of experts is this: there is no universally “safe” age for alcohol. In teenagers, it is a blow to the brain, which is still developing. In people after 65, it is a blow to the body, which is already working at the limit of its resources. Therefore, the formula “a little is enough for everyone” is no longer considered a modern medical position.
