A casual glass of wine or two at dinner won’t really hurt you, and neither will the occasional Sunday Funday bar crawl, right? If drinking is a daily ritual—and especially if you tend to drink in excess—you’ll likely want to revise your routine for the sake of long-term brain health.
Researchers behind a new study published in the journal Neurology investigated the brains of nearly 1,800 older adults who died at an average age of 75, classified into groups based on their drinking habits while alive. (Moderate drinking indicated having seven or fewer standard drinks per week—classified as 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits—with heavy drinking constituting eight or more.)1
The results? Having more than eight drinks per week was linked to all kinds of long-term conditions—everything from memory problems to the decline in cognitive function. That’s a lot to swallow, but what does this all mean for you and your brain based on your current alcohol habits?
So, what did the study get wrong?
After controlling for other risk factors for brain disease, the researchers said they found that cases of heavy, formerly heavy, and *even* some moderate alcohol consumption were associated with hyaline arteriosclerosis—or the thickening of the arteriolar wall and narrowing of blood vessels—which can lead to memory and thinking problems.
Heavy and formerly heavy alcohol consumption were also linked to neurofibrillary tangles: Abnormal buildups of a protein called tau collected inside neurons, which is linked to neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s. In addition, former heavy drinking was linked to lower brain mass ratio and impaired cognitive capabilities, and heavy drinkers died about 13 years earlier than those who abstained from alcohol.
But don’t panic just yet, as your noggin isn’t necessarily doomed if you imbibe on occasion. “Moderate alcohol consumption didn’t seem to be associated with cognitive decline in this study,” says Michael Weaver, MD, DFASAM, professor of psychiatry and the medical director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “However, that may have been because those who drink less are more likely to have a healthier lifestyle or higher socioeconomic status.”
He also reminds us that alcohol intake is only one of several factors that contribute to risk for cognitive decline and dementia, with genetics typically being among the most significant of the bunch.2
The study relied on data from brain autopsies and questionnaires from family members, yet didn’t evaluate important factors like participants’ cognitive abilities while alive or their duration of alcohol consumption.
It also didn’t separate daily drinking from occasional binges, though both may warrant closer consideration in terms of dependence and your greater well-being. In short, it presents compelling, objective data based on damage to actual brain tissue, but doesn’t paint a full picture.
Is alcohol intake really a one-way trip to brain injury?
Nonetheless, moderate alcohol intake won’t exactly support cognition and brain health. A drink or two with dinner on most nights also teeters dangerously close to the heavy drinking category, which poses greater threats. “In this study, even moderate drinkers had about a 60 percent higher chance of more damage to their tiny blood vessels than non-drinkers, which can be an early warning sign of more severe brain damage and memory problems,” notes Joseph R. Volpicelli, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist, research scientist, and the executive director at the Institute of Addiction Medicine.
While the findings in this study were all associations and not proven causations, they highlight the fact that even modest intake over time—no matter if you can generally tolerate alcohol well and it doesn’t (appear to) negatively affect your life in tangible ways—can amount to bigger brain health issues down the road.
Of course, you’ll also have to mind other aspects of your health and well-being, both sooner and later. “In the short term, moderate or heavy drinking can lead to poor sleep, increased anxiety, and depressed mood,” says Dr. Volpicelli. “Plus, there’s an ever-growing list of studies showing that alcohol, even at relatively moderate levels of drinking, is associated with health risks, including risks for cancer.” He also notes that women are especially at risk for breast cancer with moderate drinking.3
The study relied on data from brain autopsies and questionnaires from family members, yet didn’t evaluate important factors like participants’ cognitive abilities while alive or their duration of alcohol consumption. It also didn’t separate daily drinking from occasional binges, though both may warrant closer consideration in terms of dependence and your greater well-being. In short, it presents compelling, objective data based on damage to actual brain tissue, but doesn’t paint a full picture.
The takeaway
It bears repeating once and for all: Alcohol is far from being a health elixir, and any purported benefits of moderate drinking are overstated or have been refuted by more recent and robust research. (Yes, including red wine—and no, not even for heart health.) “Even small amounts of alcohol—especially frequent drinking, such as most nights—can lead to health problems, especially in people who already have any existing ones,” warns Dr. Weaver. “Having a drink or two on most nights clearly increases the risk for problems, such as narrowing of blood vessels.”
Dr. Volpicelli agrees, suggesting that casual drinking could be akin to a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Drinking might feel good in the moment—particularly after long days and in the company of loved ones—but it has the potential to trigger or accelerate adverse cognitive effects over time, even if you don’t notice any changes at present. “Your brain is your most valuable resource,” he shares. “Protecting it doesn’t mean you can never enjoy a drink, but it does mean drinking with intention and knowing when to seek support.”
All things considered, your best bet is to keep your alcohol intake to a minimum. If you’re used to opening a bottle of vino on autopilot before dinner, turning to the hard stuff in times of distress, or bingeing for any reason, chances are you’ll benefit from being more mindful about your habits. Course-correcting and scaling back could be one of the wisest decisions you’ll make, paving the way for smarter choices, more brain power, and better health for years to come.
- Justo, A. F. O., Paradela, R., Goncalves, N. G., Paes, V. R., Leite, R. E. P., Nitrini, R., Pasqualucci, C. A., Ferriolli, E., Grinberg, L. T., & Suemoto, C. K. (2025). Association between alcohol consumption, cognitive abilities, and neuropathologic changes: A Population-Based Autopsy Study. PubMed, 104(9), e213555. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000213555 ↩︎
- Fan, J., Tao, W., Li, X., Li, H., Zhang, J., Wei, D., Chen, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2019). The contribution of genetic factors to cognitive impairment and dementia: apolipoprotein E gene, gene interactions, and polygenic risk. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(5), 1177. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20051177 ↩︎
- Sohi, I., Rehm, J., Saab, M., Virmani, L., Franklin, A., Sánchez, G., Jhumi, M., Irshad, A., Shah, H., Correia, D., Ferrari, P., Ferreira‐Borges, C., Lauby‐Secretan, B., Galea, G., Gapstur, S., Neufeld, M., Rumgay, H., Soerjomataram, I., & Shield, K. (2024). Alcoholic beverage consumption and female breast cancer risk: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of prospective cohort studies. Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research, 48(12), 2222–2241. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15493 ↩︎
Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter
Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.
Got it, you've been added to our email list.
