Drinking in moderation boosts brainpower

Aug 4 2005

In news guaranteed to prompt more than a few toasts down the pub, Aussie researchers are saying that among those who enjoy a bevy or two, moderate drinkers are better thinkers than teetotallers or those who overindulge.

The new study by the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, suggests that drinking in moderation boosts brainpower, but no booze at all, or too much, can make you a dullard.

In a study of 7,000 people in their early 20s, 40s and 60s, it was found that those who drank within safe limits had better verbal skills, memory and speed of thinking than those at the extremes of the drinking spectrum.

14 to 28 standard drinks a week for a man and 7 to 14 for a woman, was considered to be the safe consumption level.

In the study, questions posed ranged from verbal reasoning problems to tests of short-term memory, and surprisingly, teetotallers appeared to be twice as likely as occasional drinkers to achieve the lowest scores.

According to Dr Bryan Rodgers, from ANU's Centre for Mental Health Research, moderate drinkers not only performed the best, but also seemed to be the healthiest.

He says this does not necessarily mean that moderate alcohol use is good for our brains, as there may be other reasons not measured which explain the poor performance of non-drinkers.

The good news is that the results may possibly reflect the fact that alcohol can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and increase blood flow to the brain, both factors linked to improved mental function.

The study also supports research that suggests moderate alcohol intake can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by improving circulation.

The Australian study is part of a 20-year project which began in 1999 to examine the changes in thinking and mood as people age.