Sunday, July 05, 2026

How addiction impacts brain health

 The long‑term health effects of addiction never make their way into psychoeducation or psychosocial support offered to people in recovery. Interventions tend to focus on immediate harms — liver damage, withdrawal risks, and overdose prevention.

While these are essential in shaping an individual’s motivation and commitment to recovery, educating people about how today’s choices shape tomorrow’s brain health is an overlooked but powerful form of recovery capital. It can act both as a deterrent  to relapse and an enabler of healthier lifestyle decisions. 

Adding to dementia burden

One area where this gap is becoming increasingly visible is dementia. India is facing a growing public‑health challenge: a 2023 study estimates that 7.4 per cent of adults over 60 — around 10 million people — are currently living with dementia. As the population ages, this number is expected to rise sharply. At the same time, a growing body of research is linking chronic substance use to both temporary and long‑term cognitive impairment, including an elevated risk of developing dementia later in life.

Addiction is now widely understood as a neurobiological disease — one that alters the brain’s physical architecture and disrupts cognitive processes. Long‑term exposure to alcohol, opioids, stimulants, or sedatives can impair neuronal communication, increase neuroinflammation, and damage the brain’s ability to repair itself. Over time, these changes may become irreversible. Emerging evidence suggests that such substance‑induced neurotoxicity may accelerate or unmask neurodegenerative processes, contributing to earlier or more severe cognitive decline.

This connection has profound implications for how India approaches addiction treatment. If dementia is rising, and substance use contributes to cognitive vulnerability, then brain‑health education must become a core component of recovery support. Recovery capital has traditionally emphasised social networks, coping skills, employment, and housing. But cognitive preservation — protecting one’s future ability to think, remember, and live independently — is an equally vital resource.

Integrating long‑term brain‑health risks into treatment could strengthen relapse‑prevention frameworks, empower individuals with a clearer understanding of the stakes, and align addiction services with India’s broader public‑health priorities. It also reframes recovery not as crisis management, but as lifelong neuro-protection. 

As India confronts the dual rise of addiction and dementia, the treatment landscape must evolve. This is not about fear‑based messaging. It is about equipping people in recovery with the knowledge that their choices today can safeguard their autonomy, dignity, and cognitive well-being decades from now. When individuals understand that recovery is also an investment in their future selves, they gain a powerful and often missing form of motivation — one that can shape healthier lives and healthier ageing for millions.




This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   















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posted by G S Iyer at 9:36 AM 0 comments

Liquid nitrogen in food: The hidden danger behind smoke-filled desserts and frozen treats

In 2024, the Karnataka government banned the use of liquid nitrogen “while serving food”, after a boy died from consuming it from a paan vendor. The easy availability of the substance is a major cause for concern, and stricter regulations and safety experts. The government does not restrict its use in cooling or preparing food.

Some agencies like Pai Air Products, with units in Mysuru Road and Peenya, have stopped selling liquid nitrogen to customers buying it for freezing simple snacks like biscuits, after a recent mishap. “We sell about 1,000 litres of it per day.

Anyone with a cryogenic cylinder can purchase it. It does not require any special permits, unless one is installing a tank,” says Adith Pai. Apart from restaurants and chefs, it is also bought for freezing animal semen for artificial insemination and for industrial purposes like shrink fitting and laser cutting. 

Better regulation

Rangaswamy C E, president of the Karnataka Beedhi Badhi Vyaapari Sanghatane Okkuta, told Metrolife that none of the vendors under the association uses liquid nitrogen.

However, he shared that the GBA has failed in setting up an efficient system to regulate and support street food vendors. Officials from GBA did not respond to calls from Metrolife. 

Chef Johnson Ebenezer, who runs an experimental farm-to-fork restaurant, Farmlore, uses the substance extensively in his menu. The restaurant gets its liquid nitrogen from Pai Air Products.

Cryogenic cylinders with capacities of 10 and 25 litres are sent to the agency to be filled, for Rs 71 per litre. “Using unsuitable containers that are not designed for cryogenic liquids can increase the risk of pressure build-up and accidents,” says  Dr Anupama N K, a senior gastroenterologist who consults at a prominent hospital in Hebbal.

The boiling point of nitrogen is -196 C, whereas a regular freezer is about -18 C. “So it is quite extreme,” notes Ramesh Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety Works. 

Quick freezing

While the substance does not influence taste in any way, the speed at which it freezes food makes it convenient for chefs and allows for experimentation.

The theatricality of the heavy smoke, the liquid evaporating, is, of course, the main draw. “As per FSSAI guidelines, the food cannot be served to the customer until all the liquid nitrogen has evaporated. In some cases, when the substance gets  rapped in the food, it’s easy to miss. 

That is when it is tragic,” explains Johnson. He adds that vendors or chefs using it must go through proper training on safe practices, because it’s tricky to handle.

Exercise caution 

Even a small amount left in the food can cause severe burns to the mouth, throat or stomach, but it is perfectly safe if handled the right way, notes Dr Anupama. “Never eat or drink anything that is still producing thick white fog or visible vapour as it indicates that the liquid nitrogen has not yet fully evaporated,” she states, adding that touching it with one’s hands can lead to frostbite and tissue damage.

If someone swallows it and experiences severe pain, burns, difficulty breathing or swelling, immediate medical attention can prevent serious complications. “If it reaches the stomach before it has fully evaporated, it turns into gas, which causes severe bloating that can rupture the stomach.  The lips, tongue, throat and oesophagus, which come in contact with it first, will also be affected. Even inhaling large amounts of nitrogen gas in poorly ventilated areas, where oxygen is low, can lead to dizziness, headaches, confusion, shortness  of breath and loss of consciousness,” she points out.




This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   



























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posted by G S Iyer at 9:18 AM 0 comments