During a recent conversation, podcast titan Joe Rogan disclosed his decision to stop drinking.
“I think I’m done,” Rogan stated plainly during the exchange, explaining that his choice wasn’t prompted by necessity but by rational health considerations.
The fitness enthusiast and UFC commentator, known for his disciplined approach to physical wellness through exercise, nutrition, and various health protocols, realized there was an inconsistency in his lifestyle choices.
“For no reason other than it’s not good for you,” Rogan explained about his decision that came approximately a month ago. “I didn’t have to. I enjoyed it. But the days after were just too rough.”
Rogan’s epiphany came when he questioned his own behavior pattern:
“What kind of a moron who takes so good care of his body is poisoning himself a couple of days a week for fun? Why am I doing that?”
The host of one of the world’s most popular podcasts then posed himself another important question:
“Will I have the same amount of fun if I don’t poison myself?”
His conclusion was affirmative: “Turns out, yes.”
Dr. Andrew Huberman previously released an in depth podcast that explains all the ways that drinking negatively impacts your health.
According to him, ethanol can easily penetrate all cells and tissues in your body due to its unique property of being both water-soluble and fat-soluble. Unlike many other chemicals that attach to cell receptors, ethanol passes directly into cells, which explains its widespread damaging effects throughout the body.
Among the three types of it— isopropyl, methyl, and ethyl—only ethanol is consumable by humans. However, Dr. Andrew Huberman emphasizes an important point:
“It is still toxic, okay? It produces substantial stress and damage to cells.”
When you consume ethanol, your body must convert it because of its toxicity. This conversion process involves a molecule called NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which is present in all cells from birth until death. The process transforms ethanol into acetaldehyde—a chemical far more dangerous than ethanol itself.
“If you thought ethanol was bad, acetaldehyde is particularly bad. Acetaldehyde is poison. It will kill cells,” Huberman explains. “It damages and kills cells, and it is indiscriminate as to which cells it damages and kills.”
Your body then converts acetaldehyde into acetate, which can be used as fuel. However, this entire conversion process occurs primarily in the liver, whose cells “take a beating” during ethanol metabolism. The conversion must happen quickly; otherwise, toxic acetaldehyde builds up, causing more damage.
This is why it provides what nutritionists call “empty calories.” The metabolic process is costly for your body, yet it provides no real nutritional value—no vitamins, amino acids, or fatty acids. It’s just immediate energy that can’t be stored beneficially.
Most people don’t realize that feeling dru nk is actually “a poison-induced disruption in the way that your neural circuits work.” When ethanol enters your bloodstream, it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier—a protective fence that keeps most chemicals out of your brain—because of its water and fat solubility.
In the brain, it affects specific areas, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for thinking, planning, and suppressing impulsive behavior.
“After a drink or two, there’s a slight suppression in the activity of neurons in the prefrontal cortex.”
This explains common behaviors at parties where drinking is common: people speak louder because they’re not monitoring their voice modulation, they gesticulate more, and move around more. As Huberman describes it,
“As the prefrontal cortex shuts down, people stop modulating their level of speech quite as much.”
The science behind this is that the prefrontal cortex normally provides “top-down inhibition” by releasing GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that suppresses impulsive behavior. When ethanol inhibits the prefrontal cortex, this suppression is released. People say things without forethought and act more impulsively.
Ethanol also strongly affects memory formation and storage networks in the brain, which is why people often forget events after drinking. Additionally, the brain areas involved in flexible thinking—weighing different options or considering tactful ways to communicate—essentially shut down.
The immediate effect of it is diminished prefrontal activity and reduced top-down inhibition, leading to increased habitual and impulsive behavior. But more concerning is that frequent drinking can cause long-term changes to the very neural circuits that control these behaviors, potentially leading to more permanent alterations in brain function.
This latest lifestyle adjustment aligns with Rogan‘s well-documented journey of health optimization, which includes regular physical training, sauna sessions, ice baths, and carefully considered nutritional choices.
Health experts often note that eliminating harmful substances can improve sleep quality, mental clarity, and overall physical performance – all factors that would presumably be important to someone with Rogan’s active lifestyle and demanding professional schedule.
As influencers like Rogan make such health-conscious decisions public, they potentially inspire millions of followers to examine their own habits and wellness choices.
