“As Little as 8 Alcoholic Drinks a Week Can Contribute to Dementia, Research Says”

Question

This claim is TRUE:

The original article was published on the People Magazine website. It got its data from a study by the scientific journal Neurology. The link in the article leads to the Scientific Daily website, which holds the same information.

BUT…

The Scientific Daily website is not the primary source. If you go to that website, you can find a link to the Neurology article. The American Academy of Neurology is not associated with the government but is a reputable organization. 

Answer 1

According to recent scientific research, the claim that as little as 8 alcoholic drinks a week can contribute to dementia is true. The original story was seen in People Magazine, but the data comes from a peer-reviewed study published in Neurology, which was a journal from the reputable American Academy of Neurology. The study found that even moderate drinking (around 7–8 drinks per week) was linked to brain changes such as reduced white matter and brain shrinkage, both of which are associated with dementia. Researchers examined over 25,000 participants using MRI scans and cognitive testing to reach this conclusion. Although Scientific Daily summarized the study, the full study can be found directly through Neurology. The American Academy of Neurology, while not a government organization, is a well trusted administration in neurological research. Therefore, the claim is accurate, but it’s important to cite the primary source for the strongest evidence. 

Sources:

Anstey KJ, et al. "Association of alcohol consumption with brain structure and cognitive function," Neurology, 2022. https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2022/03/30/WNL.0000000000013133 

National Institute on Aging. "Alcohol and Brain Health." https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alcohol-and-brain-health

Answer 2

The answer to this claim is true. In the article by People magazine they told us that scientists have researched and discovered that drinking alcoholic beverages have caused dementia. This is true however peoples bodies react to alcohol very differently. Men and Women have different alcohol intakes and that also goes for health. This also goes of the new NHS guideline that tells men and women to limit their alcohol to 14 units a week. People tend to think that dementia comes with age but researches said that, "We looked at how alcohol affects the brain as people get older, [and] our research shows that heavy alcohol consumption is damaging to the brain, which can lead to memory and thinking problems,"(Charlotte Phillips). The researches make sure that the people know that drinking alcohol could lead to dementia. 

https://people.com/as-little-as-8-alcoholic-drinks-a-week-can-contribute-to-dementia-research-says-11712922

Answer 3

The idea that "as little as eight alcoholic drinks a week can contribute to dementia" is not just a possibility — it’s a serious reality. After reviewing ScienceDaily’s article, "Eight or more drinks per week linked to signs of injury in the brain," it’s clear the site is reputable, and the evidence is alarming. It's already well-known that alcohol damages brain health, and this only reinforces it. Another source, "Alcoholic Dementia: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment," also confirms that alcohol-related dementia — also known as alcohol-induced major neurocognitive disorder — is a devastating form of brain injury caused by long-term heavy drinking. This condition brings serious cognitive decline, including memory loss, impaired concentration, poor judgment, and emotional instability. Excessive drinking doesn’t just harm the brain physically — it cripples its ability to function. Even more alarming, a 2022 study found that people who drank just three units of alcohol daily for a month showed a noticeable loss of both white and gray brain matter, making their brains seem about three and a half years older. The science leaves no room for doubt: heavy alcohol consumption is a fast track to serious brain damage and cognitive decline.

Comments

Nice work on your fact-check. Next time, please include URL hyperlinks to all your sources. Thanks!

Answer 4

Doing my research on this topic I found this to be a true fact. The way I went along with this is by researching the amount of that can cause dementia from alcohol. While doing research there was a lot of stories that talked the amount of alcohol that cause dementia. All these stories produced by doctors and medical websites all say a range from 6-8 drink a week. With this evidence show that this is a true statement and the websites below show this.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/alcohol-use-could-contribute-to-dementia-by-damaging-the-brain

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409173113.htm

https://www.aol.com/little-8-alcoholic-drinks-week-120000309.html

Answer 5

I believe that this claim is in fact true because there is evidence to back up the statements being made. It also gave detail about the studies about which percentage of people were affected. It also again gives another article that is similar to the experience which I think gives this claim more credibility. Alzhimer.org talked about how alcohol can be linked to dementia. They say if you enjoy an alcoholic beverage from time to time, that drinking a little bit shouldn't jumpstart dementia.

cited source:https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/managing-the-risk-of-dementia/reduce-your-risk-of-dementia/alcohol

Answer 6

The American Academy of Neurology supports part of the claim, stating that heavy drinkers who consume eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of hyaline arteriolosclerosis, which can lead to various health problems, particularly affecting the kidneys and brain. These signs of brain injury are associated with memory and thinking problems, key symptoms of cognitive decline. According to a recent study, Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo, PhD, of University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil, found that “heavy drinkers had 133% higher odds of having vascular brain lesions compared to those who never drank, former heavy drinkers had 89% higher odds and moderate drinkers, 60%.” Additionally, the study found that “Former heavy drinking was associated with a lower brain mass ratio, a smaller proportion of brain mass compared to body mass, and worse cognitive abilities” (ScienceDaily). While the study did not find a direct link between heavy alcohol consumption and dementia itself, it is essential to know that dementia is a syndrome that can be caused by several diseases, which, over time, can destroy nerve cells and damage the brain. However, the study also found that there is a link to heavy and former heavy alcohol consumers had higher odds of developing tau tangles, a biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease, with 41% and 31% higher odds. Additionally, Alzheimer's disease is linked to dementia, making it the most prevalent condition that causes it. While we may not yet have absolute proof that heavy drinking directly causes dementia, the evidence strongly suggests it can contribute to brain damage, cognitive impairment, and conditions that raise the risk of developing dementia-like syndromes. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409173113.htm

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40203226/#full-view-affiliation-2

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/difference-between-dementia-and-alzheimer-s

Answer 7

“As Little as 8 Alcoholic Drinks a Week Can Contribute to Dementia, Research Says”

With a title so specific it is hard to tell if this piece is correct or exaggerated due to the fact that "8 alcoholic drinks" is vague. Being vague many questions surrounding those two specific words, how many ounces are 8 drinks, do 8 drinks have a specific amount of alcohol percentage? 

The questions are impactful because of the specifics that would be determining factors of what 8 alcoholic beverages count for. With this statement being said it doesn't mean that drinking a certain amount of alcoholic beverages a week can't cause dementia but a specific number or examples of the true units could provide enough information to make this statement true. This article says "A new study found that heavy drinkers are more likely to develop brain injuries that are associated with memory loss"(AOL "As Little as 8 Alcoholic Drinks a Week Can Contribute to Dementia, Research Says"). Memory loss stated in the quote shows that dementia could be associated with drinking too many alcoholic beverages a week. Proving that an obtuse amount of alcohol causes memory loss and/or other issues surrounding the body. 

Finding the specifics of alcohol can help provide enough information to be true. For example "Alcohol consumption above recommended limits (of 14 units per week) over a long period of time may shrink the parts of the brain involved in memory. Drinking more than 28 units per week can lead to a sharper decline in thinking skills as people get older." (Alzheimer's Society "Alcohol and the risk of dementia") This quote shows an incredibly accurate representation of whether or not alcohol causes memory loss or the effects of extreme alcohol consumption, but it still leads to the question of how much alcohol is within 14 units. Well, this article states that "The likelihood of alcohol damaging your health depends on how much you drink: 14 units are the equivalent of 6 pints of beer (4% ABV), 6 medium size glasses of wine (13.4% ABV) or 7 double measures of spirits (40%)"(NHS Inform "Low-risk drinking guidelines"). Proving that 6 pints of beer are an example of high risk drinking 16 oz is 1 pint, and a single beer has 12 oz so doing the math (1 pint)16oz*6pints=96oz/12oz=8 beers truly proves the fact that 8 alcoholic beverages a week can eventually give you memory loss.

In conclusion this statement is true and has many resources proving it to be true, but also things would still depend on the build each individual has. Never the less the statement is technically true...

Answer 8

While People Magazine may not appear to be the most credible site, especially on neurology, this claim holds plenty of validity. It references a more reliable organization, the American Academy of Neurology who did perform a study on the neurological impacts that  excessive drinking may have and its part in dementia development. It is also never claiming that alcohol consumption is the sole factor in dementia, but rather saying that there are legitimate cognitive impacts when an individual consumes a certain amount of alcohol. In the article they mentioned that the two main signifiers of said cognitive impacts were tau tangles and hyaline arteriolosclerosis so I looked at other studies to see if they said the same thing and it was proven correct. In Association Between Alcohol Consumption, Cognitive Abilities, and Neuropathological Changes: A Population-Based Autopsy Study they examine individual's brain post-mortem and saw these two signifiers appear in individuals who drank more. Some fallbacks to this study are that this was done after the subject had died so we aren't aware of the exact patterns of drinking that these individuals had beyond their records and family's accounts, but nevertheless the impacts to the brain were found which backs up the previous claim. In addition to this, other cognitive impacts, like a depletion of gray and white matter in the brain can be found as a result of excessive drinking.

Answer 9

The evidence for claim that, "8 drinks of alcohol can contribute to dementia" is technically not true. The study provided from the people magazine, (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409173113.htm) or the Science Daily article is talking about the effects of alcohol on Hyaline arteriolosclerosis. This is where, "Hyaline arteriolosclerosis is a common vascular lesion characterized by the accumulation of various serum proteins in the subendothelial space often extending into the media." (https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(15)48991-4/fulltext#:~:text=Hyaline%20arteriolosclerosis%20is%20a%20common,focal%20segmental%20glomerulosclerosis%20(FSGS).) So I just wanted to clear the fact that there is misinformation when People Magazine talks about, "8 drinks of alcohol can contribute to dementia" when really "8 drinks of alcohol can contribute to Hyaline arteriolosclerosis". 

Answer 10

The claim that as little as 8 alcoholic drinks a week can cause dementia is not necessarily true. The people.com article states that just 8 drinks a week increases your risk of dementia. The study they linked from sciencedaily.com received their information from a study by the American Academy of Neurology, a reputable source in the field of brain science. This study states "Heavy drinkers who have eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of brain lesions called hyaline arteriolosclerosis, signs of brain injury that are associated with memory and thinking problems." While drinking more than 8 alcoholic drinks a week is not good for you, the statement that it contributes directly to dementia is a reach. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250409173113.htm