Stijn Noorman Profile picture
Feb 10, 2025 22 tweets 7 min read Read on X
The biggest scam in the world:

Alcohol.

It's destroying your brain and health.

Here's what alcohol does to you (backed by science): Image
Alcohol is the drug that causes the most harm.

Especially harm to others.

It causes even more harm than heroin and crack. Image
Yet alcohol is extremely normalized.

It's the only drug where people assume you have a problem if you don't take it.

Which is shocking if you look at the health problems it causes:
Alcohol causes a ton of health problems.

Both immediate and long-term.

So let's look at how it does this... Image
Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream.

It reaches the brain within minutes.

It crosses the blood-brain barrier and increases dopamine levels. Image
However, this dopamine increase is temporary.

And it lowers your baseline once the effect wears off.

But this isn't even the worst part, let me explain... Image
Alcohol is a poison.

Your body breaks it down into acetaldehyde—a toxic chemical.

The ‘buzz’ isn’t a benefit. It’s your brain reacting to poison.
Acetaldehyde is toxic and your damages cells.

Your liver breaks it down but this process harms the liver over time.

This is even true for 1-2 drinks per night.
Alcohol stays in your system longer than you think:

• Blood: 1-2h per drink
• Breath: 12–24h
• Urine: 12–24h

With moderate to heavy drinking, some alcohol will still be in your system when you wake up. Image
Frequent drinking leads to more cortisol at baseline.

This is the stress hormone.

This effect makes you more stressed and anxious when you're not drinking.
Alcohol also disrups sleep.

It may feel like you fall asleep quicker.

But science shows that it reduces your sleep quality. Image
Alcohol is also bad for your fitness results.

It increases the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.

This is bad for gaining muscles and it also increases health risks.
Alcohol also gives you empty calories.

There's no nutritive value of the calories it creates.

So if you drink a lot this can increase your weight.
But what about the benefits of drinking?

In terms of health, there aren't any.

It's a myth that red wine is good for you, here's why:
However, some drinks give you less of a hangover.

This is because of the congeners.

Congeners contribute to alcohol's flavor and effects. Image
But the biggest downside of alcohol might not even be your health.

It's the things you do while you drink that you regret the next day.
Luckily, you can reverse most damage by quitting.

The brain starts recovering in weeks but a full reset takes 2–6 months (or longer for heavy users).

Quitting gives you a ton of health benefits: Image
It's up to you what you want to do.

The most important thing is that it works well for you.

If you want to quit or reduce your alcohol intake, these strategies will help: Image
If you quit alcohol, what was your experience?

Let me know below, curious to hear it!
Writing online helped me to quit my bad habits & limit my alcohol intake.

Join 5,100+ digital writers to learn how to build a meaningful business that gives you time freedom:

stijnnoorman.com/newsletter
If you enjoyed this thread:

1) Follow @stijnnoorman
2) RT the post below to help more people learn about alcohol. Thanks!
If you like my tweets, you'll love my free e-book.

Instant access:
stijnnoorman.com/twitter-simpli…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Stijn Noorman

Stijn Noorman Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @stijnnoorman

Jun 4
Naval and Andrew Huberman changed my life.

I watched hundreds of their videos in the last years.

Here are the 20 best lessons I learned that will change your life: Image
Not having wanting something is as good as having it.

You don't get happy by getting a lot of things.

You get happy by having few desires.
Walking is extremely underrated.

• Improved mood
• Improved sleep quality
• Improved cognitive performance

Start taking daily walks. Image
Read 24 tweets
May 11
I'm 27.

I spent 10+ years obsessing over self-improvement.

Here's what I learned in 5min so you can save 1,000+ hours:

1. Your life is 100% your responsibility. Nobody will save you.
2. Smart people often feel dumb.
Dumb people often feel smart.

3. The older I get, the more I realize that success comes from repeating the boring basics every day.
4. You'll beat 90% of people if you just show up every day.

5. Don't waste time on alcohol, partying, and clubbing.
Read 29 tweets
May 5
I'm 27.

If you're in your 10s, 20s or 30s, read this:

1. A degree won't give you a good life anymore. Build online.
2. The average millionaire is 57, not 18.
You're not failing, you're just early.

3. Smart people often think they're dumb.
Dumb people often think they're smart.
4. Nobody is smart at the start.
Nobody is dumb after 10,000 attempts.

5. You don't need to beat everybody, just your past self.
Read 17 tweets
Dec 4, 2025
The most valuable skill in the world:

Decision-making.

I studied how Naval, Elon, and billionaires make decisions.

Here's how you make better decisions than 99% of people: Image
Humans are better at spotting threats.

Because it's better for our survival.

Invert to make better decisions.
Use first-principles thinking.

Focus on the most fundamental truths.

Work your way up from there.

Question everything else.
Read 26 tweets
Nov 25, 2025
The most abused and misunderstood drug in the world:

Caffeine.

It can either ruin your life or make it much better.

Here’s how it works and how to use it properly (backed by science): Image
About 85% of American adults consume caffeine every day.

The average daily intake is about 200 mg.

The most common source of caffeine is coffee. Image
Caffeine is moderately addictive compared to other drugs.

• 80% of adults consume caffeine daily
• 35% show dependence symptoms
• 15% have significant dependence

Here’s how it compares to other drugs: Image
Read 20 tweets
Oct 28, 2025
I spent $2096 on writing courses.

Here are the 8 best lessons I learned to gain 20,000+ followers in 6 months:
1. Stairways

Stairways are underrated.

• Stand out
• Look good
• Easy to read

Pay attention to writing aesthetics. Image
2. Conciseness

People are busy.

Write like it.

• Simple
• Concise
• Practical

Simplicity is the ultimate profundity. Image
Read 13 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(