alcohol shrinks the brain

[WhiskeyGirl]

That after work glass of red wine may be less medicinal than you thought. Researchers have found that drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol shrinks the brain.

Brain volume naturally decreases by nearly 2 percent per decade as people age, but scientists had speculated that moderate alcohol intake could slow this process, by improving heart function and blood flow.

However, U.S. researchers have dealt a blow to that theory, finding a "significant negative linear relationship" between the amount of alcohol someone consumes and the space their brain takes up.

While men were more likely to drink alcohol, the researchers examined magnetic resonance imaging scans of drinkers' and non-drinkers' brains, and found the association was stronger in women. They speculated this could be due to women's smaller stature and greater tendency to feel alcohol's effects.

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,437664,00.html

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24498944-2702,00.html