June 29, according to foreign media reports, the University of Georgia, the United States published in the JAMA Network Open, a new study points out that a glass of wine or a pint (about 568 ml) of beer a day can enhance brain power and slow mental decline.
Image from: Fast Technology
The study analyzed data on 19,887 men and women from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between 1996 and 2008. Participants had a mental health screening every two years and were also asked questions related to alcohol consumption.
Cognitive function is measured by assessing word recall, mental health, and vocabulary in a series of tests. This includes learning, thinking, reasoning, memory, problem solving, decision making, and attention.
It was found that those who drank regularly (up to two drinks a day) had one-third better cognitive function compared to non-drinkers. Specifically, their intelligence was 29% higher on average. Those who drank also improved their scores by 26% and 36% on language and memory tests, respectively.
The researchers said the study provides evidence that low levels of alcohol consumption may benefit the brain"s gray matter, with an optimal dose of 10 to 14 drinks per week. Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with consistently high cognitive function trajectories, as middle-aged participants who drank consistently scored relatively higher and had lower rates of cognitive decline in middle-aged and older participants.
In addition, the researchers found that there was a U relationship between drinking and cognitive function, with small amounts of alcohol having a positive effect, while excessive drinking had the opposite effect. This may be because drinking is beneficial to the cardiovascular system, moderate drinking reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack, and nondrinkers and heavy drinkers which live longer.
