Is a glass of wine a day good for your brain?
Andrew Davis
Updated on April 29, 2026
Research suggests moderate drinking may protect against stroke, Parkinson's disease, and cognitive decline. When a friend invites you to grab a glass of wine after a difficult day at work, you may be doing your brain some good—as long as that one glass doesn't turn into three.
What does one glass of wine do to your brain?
Just one beer or glass of wine a day may cause your brain to shrink, study suggests. A new study suggests that drinking as little as one beer or glass of wine daily is associated with a shrinkage in brain volume equal to two years of aging.Is drinking wine good for brain?
Wine's brain-benefits don't stop there.A 2018 study from the University of Rochester Medical Center found that low levels of alcohol consumption, like wine, can lower inflammation in the brain and help it clear away toxins, including those linked to serious diseases of the brain.