Alcohol sharpens your brain, say researchers

[Kellanved]

It is news guaranteed to raise a cheer among those who enjoy a glass or two: drinking half a bottle of wine a day can make your brain work better, especially if you are a woman.

Research to be published tomorrow by academics at University College London has found that those who even drink only one glass of wine a week have significantly sharper thought processes than teetotallers.

The benefits of alcohol, which are thought to be linked to its effect on the flow of blood to the brain, can be detected when a person drinks up to 30 units of alcohol - about four to five bottles of wine - per week.

The researchers were unable to test the effect of higher levels of alcohol consumption, although drunkenness probably negates any positive effects on the brain.

...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/08/01/nalco01.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/08/01/ixportal.html

[Richardo]

1. ...after six beers apiece.

I always think this. I am at my most freakin' BRILLIANT! Until I sober up. :)

[underpants]

2. Yeah sharp enough to feel like it is splitting my head open

Been there done that, it's true you can look it up.

[Elidor]

3. Researchers unable to test effect of higher levels of alcohol consumption

Due to declining ability to remember what the hell they were doing. But a good time was had by all.

Personally, motor coordination seems better after about 2 beers. But more research is required.

[HuckleB]

7. Hmm.

Motor ability improves after two beers? In games such as pool, darts etc...? Perhaps the underlying factor is the disappearance of performance anxiety prior to consuming enough to really retard motor coordination.

I know this from experience.

:)

[ET Awful]

4. Of course, in order to sharpen something . . .

You have to destroy a portion of it. . . like a knife for instance. . . you have to abrade away a portion of the metal to "sharpen" the edge :).

So in order to sharpen your mind with alcohol, you first have to destroy part of it. This results in a diminished capacity the more you "sharpen" it. Or at least that's my theory :) :) :)

[Ready4Change]

6. Thats the Theory of Brain Cell Survivalof the Fittest

The idea that, by drinking vaste quantities, you will kill off your weak brain cells, leaving only a colony of high effective ones. Has probably been thought up by every frat since there have been frats.

[mhr]

5. Hey, Just What Bush Needs, An Excuse For Hitting The Bottle

I'd bet Karl is happy to dodge this bullet.

We can here simple Scotty now, "Helen, the University College London has determined that moderate alcohol consumption is healthy. The pResident never drinks more than in moderation, Next question."

[BringEmOn]

8. As sharp as a marble.

[redqueen]

9. Dang... I don't really like wine

wonder if malt liquor coolers are just as good? Better stock up!

[DS1]

10. So... Can we put Bush ~back~ on the sauce?

:shrug:

[Philostopher]

11. It's a different thing, though related ...

I also have heard that a couple of drinks, doesn't matter what kind, can improve your ability to access long-term memory. It blows the hell out of your short-term memory, mind you (so drinking a beer while you cram for an exam isn't a good idea), but apparently improves your access to more deeply-buried memories.

Anecdotal evidence (which is worth exactly what you pay for it, of course) tends to prove this out. Mr. Nownow and I play the online NTN rock trivia game every Saturday night that we can, and we drink a beer or two while we play, over the course of the evening. We're both at our best if we're just starting our second beer when we start the music game.

For a while, I was on a medication I couldn't drink alcohol with, and we'd go play the game anyway and just drink iced tea. We never did quite as well, and we argued more over answers and usually both picked the wrong ones.

I always did better at Trivial Pursuit at drinking parties than when I played it totally sober, too.

[Blue-Jay]

12. I should be a fucking GENIUS by now!

Sadly, I'm not.

[Susang]

13. Snarf!

They said wine, not BEER or BOURBON! }(

[Blue-Jay]

14. Well...

I whine when I don't have beer or bourbon. That probably doesn't count, though.