Low level alcohol consumption is associated with lower regional brain volume and thickness in healthy adults

Low levels of alcohol consumption (e.g., up to two standard drink equivalents/day for males and one drink/day for females) have been viewed as benign or even beneficial, particularly for cardiovascular function. A limited number of studies investigated associations of alcohol consumption with brain volumes and metabolite levels in “healthy” cohorts without alcohol use disorder (AUD) and yielded mixed results. To date, no study has concurrently assessed brain morphometrics and metabolites in regions that previously showed associations with alcohol consumption in healthy adults.
A study examined the associations between alcohol consumption and magnetic resonance measures of brain volume and cortical thickness, and brain metabolite levels in healthy non-smoking adults (22-70 years of age) with no history of AUD; average number of drinks/month prior to study was 19 ± 17. Volumes and thickness were quantified for the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and metabolites in the ACC and right DLPFC. All participants consumed ≤60 standard drink equivalents per month, over the year preceding study. Lower left caudal ACC volume and thickness and lower right superior frontal gyrus volume were related to higher 1-year average drinks/month. Lower ACC creatine-containing compounds and myo-inositol levels were associated with higher 1-year average drinks/month; lower ACC myo-inositol concentration was related to higher lifetime average drinks/mo
Results indicate potential neurobiological consequences for levels of alcohol consumption currently considered “low risk” for adverse biomedical effects. These findings may have implications for current harm reduction strategies and alcohol consumption public health guidelines.
Source: Durazzo TC, Joseff BDP, Meyerhoff DJ. Low level alcohol consumption is associated with lower regional brain volume and thickness and lower choline-containing compounds and myo-inositol levels in healthy adults. Alcohol. 2025 Dec;129:157-165.