Not that any of us need an excuse to reach for that extra glass at this time of year, but in news that offers hope and baffles plenty, scientists have found that drinking three glasses of champagne every day can help prevent the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Apparently, a compound found in pinot noir and pniot meunier, the black grapes used to make champagne, can ward off brain diseases and increase spatial memory.
Professor Jeremy Spencer, one of the scientists involved in the experiment at Reading University, told the Mail on Sunday that ‘the results were dramatic’. The test involved rats and according to Spencer ‘illustrates for the first time that moderate consumption of champagne has the potential to influence cognitive functioning, such as memory.’ The scientists are hoping to continue the test by doing trials on pensioners.
A spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society said the results were interesting, but that ‘a lot more research is needed.’