Even Moderate Alcohol Intake May Damage the Brain, Increase Dementia Risk: Study Finds

The study was conducted by Brazilian researchers who analyzed the brains of 1,781 deceased individuals through autopsies. Drinking habits were reported by relatives, and participants were divided into four groups: never drinkers, moderate drinkers (up to seven standard drinks weekly), heavy drinkers (eight or more drinks weekly), and former drinkers (those who hadn’t consumed alcohol in at least three months but previously drank heavily). A standard drink was defined as 14 grams of alcohol, equivalent to 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine.

While the study has limitations due to reliance on second-hand accounts of alcohol consumption, health experts say the findings clearly show alcohol’s harmful impact on brain health. “The findings of this study confirm what we have thought for a long time, in that chronic alcohol use can be associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Mike Sevilla, a family medicine physician in Ohio.

The study found that heavy drinkers had a 133% higher risk of hyaline arteriolosclerosis, a condition involving hardening of the arteries that can impair memory function. Former heavy drinkers had an 89% increased risk, while moderate drinkers had a 60% higher risk.

Reference: Justo, A. F. O., Paradela, R., Gomes Goncalves, N., Ribeiro Paes, V., Leite, R. E. P., Nitrini, R., ... & Suemoto, C. K. (2025). Association Between Alcohol Consumption, Cognitive Abilities, and Neuropathologic Changes: A Population-Based Autopsy Study. Neurology, 104(9), e213555.