If you've ever questioned whether a few too many drinks could affect your brain, a new study has some pretty concerning news.
Researchers from Brazil have found that drinking just eight or more alcoholic beverages a week can significantly increase your risk of developing brain lesions—damage that could mess with your memory and cognitive function.
These brain lesions, linked to a condition called 'hyaline arteriolosclerosis,' are caused when the tiny blood vessels in the brain narrow and harden.
This reduces blood flow, which, over time, can lead to brain damage.
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi thriller, but unfortunately, the reality is less dramatic and more alarming.
The research, published in the journal Neurology, focused on nearly 1,800 individuals from the UK's Biobank health database.
The participants were grouped based on their alcohol consumption habits—non-drinkers, moderate drinkers (people who have seven or fewer drinks per week), former heavy drinkers, and those who continued to drink heavily until the end of their lives.
And what the researchers found was startling.
According to the study, moderate drinkers actually had a 60 percent higher chance of developing brain lesions compared to those who abstained.
But it gets worse for former heavy drinkers—those who used to drink a lot but quit had an 89 percent higher risk of brain lesions.
The worst-case scenario? Heavy drinkers who still hadn't stopped had a 133 percent greater risk of developing these lesions.
And the dangers don't stop there.
The study also showed that heavy drinkers, even if they eventually stopped, had higher odds of developing tau tangles.
Tau tangles is a neurological marker associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
This finding suggests that the long-term effects of heavy drinking can leave lasting damage, even if you've stopped drinking altogether.
Perhaps most shocking, the study indicated that lifelong heavy drinkers tend to die, on average, 13 years earlier than those who abstain from alcohol.
It's a reminder that those nights of excessive drinking could have consequences aside from a hangover.
The research team, led by vascular expert Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo, made it clear that while they didn't establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the association between heavy drinking and brain damage is hard to ignore.
And though the data was based on the health records of UK residents, the findings are widely applicable to anyone who drinks regularly.
While moderate drinkers didn't fare as badly as heavy drinkers, the findings are still a wake-up call.
Even if you're not getting blackout drunk every weekend, regularly exceeding eight drinks a week could put your brain at risk.
The study serves as a reminder that moderation isn't just for calories and carbs—it's crucial for maintaining long-term brain health.
So, maybe it's time to swap out that second (or third) glass of wine for something a little more brain-friendly. Your cognitive function may depend on it.