Studies have shown that moderate drinking of alcoholic beverages lowers risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Recent study showed that any amount of consumed alcohol contributes to the brain's volume reduction. 

This study was led by Carol Ann Paul. Every decade our brain volume reduces in size by 2%. 

Researchers of Wellesley College claim that heavy drinking can speed that rate of shrinkage. Medical science associates smaller brain volume with dementia and cognitive impairments that include diminished ability to think, learn, and remember. 

Researchers studied the data collected from 1,839 adults, the average age of whom was 60. The study subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their brains and a health exam between 1999 and 2001. 

The study subjects reported weekly about the number of alcoholic beverages consumed plus the individual's age, gender, education level, body mass index (BMI), height, and Framingham Stroke Risk Profile. 

During the study, the MRI scans for brain volume indicated a direct link between brain volume and alcoholic intake, with the brains of the heaviest drinkers shrinking the fastest. Researchers found that brains of women were more affected by alcohol consumption as compared to the brains of the men.