The researchers behind a recent Rutgers University study believe there is a fine line between the moderate consumption of alcohol and binge drinking - a pattern of excessive alcohol use that has been linked to health problems. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that binge drinking can result in alcohol poisoning, liver disease and unintentional injuries.

Then, there are the binge drinking side effects that people may not notice right away, such as a reduction in the number of brain cells they possess. This is what the Rutgers researchers believe can happen if moderate drinkers are not careful.

"Moderate drinking can become binge drinking without the person realizing it," said Megan Anderson, the study's lead author. "In the short term there may not be any noticeable motor skills or overall functioning problems, but in the long term this type of behavior could have an adverse effect on learning and memory."

Based on their study, the researchers found that between three and four drinks for women and five drinks for men have the potential to reduce the amount of nerve cells in the brain's hippocampus by almost 40 percent.

If individuals who consider themselves to be moderate drinkers are concerned about the quality of their cognitive abilities, they may want to take an IQ test.