The less alcohol you consume, the lower your risk of developing dementia later in life is, according to Prof. Alistair Burns, one of England's top dementia doctors.
"The New Year is the perfect chance for us all to consider our lifestyles and think if there is anything we can improve or change to increase our healthiness - both physical and mental," Burns told The Telegraph UK.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate alcohol drinking is up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Alcohol affects every organ in the body, and if one is drinking too much for the liver can absorb, the rest is distributed to the body, including the brain.
Other health problems linked to excessive alcohol drinking include breast cancer, liver damage, alcohol abuse or dependence, violence, and unintentional injuries.
"While stopping drinking altogether isn't a reality for many people, cutting down can make a huge difference," Burns said. "However, it can be very easy for one glass to lead to two and then to a bottle and this can seriously increase your risk of developing dementia in later life along with many other health conditions."
An earlier study this year conducted by researchers at the University of College London echoed this warning. In a 10-year study involving 7,000 middle-aged men and women, researchers found that those who had more than two drinks per day on average experience memory loss and decline in cognitive functions six years earlier than those who drink less or not at all.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website showed that as many as five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, as of 2013. The number doubles every five years and might reach 14 million by 2050.
