From an an article about "heart healthy" moderate drinking and severe brain damage:
A new study reports that while drinking a glass of wine with dinner every night is heart tonic, it can lead to severe brain damage.
According to the study published in the Archives of Neurology, similar to heavy drinking, moderate alcohol intake is linked to brain atrophy and cognitive decline.
Findings revealed that taking more alcohol places individuals at a greater risk of brain volume loss.
The study showed that women are more prone to the mal effects of alcohol. Even having one or two drinks a day (eight to 14 per week) can cause health problems for women as they absorb alcohol more rapidly and have less blood to dilute the alcohol on average.
Previous studies had reported that drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol increases the blood flow rate and therefore protects individuals against various cardiovascular events.