A new study disputes the long held belief that alcohol slays brain cells. The researchers point out, however, that it may be too early to order a drink and celebrate.

Roberta Pentney, former professor of anatomy and cell biology at the University of Buffalo, and her co-investigator, Cynthia Dlugos, concluded that daily consumption of alcohol did create temporary damage in the connections between brain cells. However, the damage was able to repair itself, a “hopeful note,” wrote Pentney in a University of Buffalo press release.

Implications of the study “are not well-enough differentiated yet,” Dluglos said. “The fact that we don