According to research conducted at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, the answer to the question posed in the above headline is: it’s possible.
The University of Reading is ranked among the top 1 percent of universities in the world, and is one of the U.K.’s top research schools. Its Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences is the largest university department of its kind in that country.
According to its research, drinking one to three glasses of Champagne per week “may counteract the memory loss associated with aging, and could help delay the onset of degenerative brain disorders, such as dementia,” the university said in a press release.
“The phenolic compounds found in Champagne can improve spatial memory, which is responsible for recording information about one’s environment, and storing the information for future navigation,” the release continued.
“The compounds work by modulating signals in the hippocampus and cortex, which control memory and learning. The compounds were found to favorably alter a number of proteins linked to the effective storage of memories in the brain. Many of these are known to be depleted with age, making memory storage less efficient, and leading to poorer memory in old age and conditions such as dementia. Champagne slows these losses and therefore may help prevent the cognitive losses that occur during typical and atypical brain aging.
“Champagne has relatively high levels of phenolics compared to white wine, deriving predominantly from the two red grapes, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which are used in its production along with the white grape, Chardonnay. It is these phenolic compounds which are believed to be responsible for the beneficial effects of Champagne on the brain.”
For a link to the full press release, go to: http://abc7.com/health/champagne-can-help-prevent-alzheimers-study-says/1076450/
