BEER boosts your memory, according to a study which will suprise anyone who has drunk too much on a night out.
A pint a day was found to benefit the brain, with those who drank regularly having a superior memory to teetotallers.
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The findings come from 1,652 people asked about their drinking habits and then given tests on their thinking speed and short-term memory.
Researcher Professor Selene Cansino said: “Beer drinkers showed more accurate and faster responses in verbal and spatial working memory than non-drinkers, wine drinkers and spirit drinkers.”
She said she had expected wine drinkers to perform best.
Drinking the right amount was also key as too much or too little worsened performance, the University of Mexico study showed.
Writing in the journal Current Psychology, Prof Cansino said: “The optimal amount of alcohol to benefit working memory for men and women was 100g per week, which is equivalent to one drink per day.”
The figure is equal to about two units of alcohol — or one pint of 3.6 per cent beer — a day.
The NHS says people should not regularly drink more than 14 units, or six drinks, per week.
Prof Cansino added: “Only moderate alcohol consumption has benefits.”