It's no secret that alcohol abuse can cause a variety of health problems, including damage to the liver. However, a new study shows that light consumption of alcohol in older age is associated with better memory among people age 60 and older. Researchers from UTMB found that light to moderate amounts alcohol consumption was associated with better performance on tests of episodic memory among people in this age group. “Adults who are able to continue consuming alcohol into old age are healthier, and, therefore, have higher cognition and larger regional brain volumes, than people who had to decrease their alcohol consumption due to unfavorable health outcomes,” said lead study author Brian Downer.