While you probably didn’t need another excuse to drink champagne outside of holidays like New Year’s, research suggests that popping open bubbly every day could actually benefit your brain.
A 2013 study from the University of Reading — that suddenly started trending on Facebook Monday — claims that drinking a few glasses of champagne in a week could help prevent memory loss and even degenerative brain disorders like dementia. So, it may be old news, but it’s gold news.
“These exciting results illustrate for the first time that the moderate consumption of champagne has the potential to influence cognitive functioning, such as memory,” said Jeremy Spencer, a professor at the university’s Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, said in a press release at the time. “We encourage a responsible approach to alcohol consumption, and our results suggest that a very low intake of one to two glasses a week can be effective.”
Specifically, the researchers found that phenolic compounds in champagne support proteins linked to storing memories and ultimately improve your spatial memory. These proteins diminish as you age, but champagne was shown to slow that process and delay or prevent cognitive issues associated with getting old, according to the release. The study points to two red grapes used in the production of champagne, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, as the source of the phenolic compounds.
Anyway, just try to remember this next time you’ve got a crippling champagne hangover.
