Champagne is good for you!
May 6th, 2013 | Wine & Health
Great news!…. This time researchers have found that three glasses of Champagne a day could help ward off brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. (Four glasses and you might start not to remember anything!) Unfortunately, for lovers of Blanc de Blancs Champagne, this is unlikely to produce the same benefits as the compound responsible for improving memory is only found in the black grapes – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
It is not the first time scientists have identified health benefits in champagne. A year or two ago the same team found that it was as good for the heart as cocoa or red wine polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects of cell-damaging free radicals in the body. The memory aid found in champagne is actually a different compound, phenolic acid, and in this latest study, researchers found that it provoked a noticeable boost to spatial memory.
Having said that I believe that most of the tests carried out so far have been restricted to laboratory rats, but the scientists now hope to conduct a trial on up to 60 pensioners who will be asked to drink champagne for three years. My guess is that there might be no shortage of volunteers!
A spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK said: “This is an interesting study, especially for those who enjoy a glass of bubbly. However, people should not start celebrating just yet. This is the first time a link between champagne and dementia risk reduction has been found. A lot more research is needed.”
Great news!…. This time researchers have found that three glasses of Champagne a day could help ward off brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. (Four glasses and you might start not to remember anything!) Unfortunately, for lovers of Blanc de Blancs Champagne, this is unlikely to produce the same benefits as the compound responsible for improving memory is only found in the black grapes – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
It is not the first time scientists have identified health benefits in champagne. A year or two ago the same team found that it was as good for the heart as cocoa or red wine polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects of cell-damaging free radicals in the body. The memory aid found in champagne is actually a different compound, phenolic acid, and in this latest study, researchers found that it provoked a noticeable boost to spatial memory.
Having said that I believe that most of the tests carried out so far have been restricted to laboratory rats, but the scientists now hope to conduct a trial on up to 60 pensioners who will be asked to drink champagne for three years. My guess is that there might be no shortage of volunteers!
A spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK said: “This is an interesting study, especially for those who enjoy a glass of bubbly. However, people should not start celebrating just yet. This is the first time a link between champagne and dementia risk reduction has been found. A lot more research is needed.”