Moderate Wine Consumption May Boost Cognitive Function

In the last three decades, the association between moderate alcohol intake and cognitive function has been investigated in 68 studies comprising 145,308 men and women, with most showing an association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and better cognitive function and reduced risk of dementia. K. A. Arntzen, from University of Tromso (Norway), and colleagues have completed a large prospective study involving 5,033 men and women, average age 58 years and stroke-free, living in northern Norway. The team followed the subjects for a seven-year period, 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 4 or more times over two week, as compared to those who drank less than 1 time during this period.  The researchers also reported that not drinking was associated with significantly lower cognitive performance in women.  Positing that the beneficial effect of wine could relate to the presence of  polyphenols (antioxidants) and other micro elements that may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline with aging, the team concludes that:   “Light-to-moderate wine consumption was associated with better performance on cognitive tests after 7 years follow up.”