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Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 18, 2010Â
A new large prospective study confirms prior research that suggests modest levels of alcohol consumption can improve cognitive processes.
Norwegian researchers studied over 5,000 men and women and discovered moderate wine consumption is independently associated with better performance on cognitive tests.
The subjects (average age 58 and free of stroke) were followed over seven years during which they were tested with a range of cognitive function tests.
Among women, there was a lower risk of a poor testing score for those who consumed wine at least four or more times over two weeks in comparison with those who drank less than once during this period.
The expected associations between other risk factors for poor cognitive functioning were seen, i.e. lower testing scores among people who were older, less educated, smokers, and those with depression, diabetes, or hypertension.
It has long been known that “moderate people do moderate things.â€
The authors state the same thing: “A positive effect of wine . . . could also be due to confounders such as socio-economic status and more favorable dietary and other lifestyle habits.â€
The authors also reported that not drinking was associated with significantly lower cognitive performance in women.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/08/19/moderate-alcohol-consumption-linked-to-knowledge-gain/17038.html
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