GENIUS IN A BOTTLE

A pint of the good stuff isn’t normally associated with better mental function, but science could tip that on its head

QUESTION

What post-work loosener can protect your brain and give your workouts extra fizz?

Homer Simpson wasn’t drawing from the keg of peer-reviewed science when he observed that booze was “the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems” – but there is a thimble of truth to what he said. Almost 10% of deaths among men in their forties are attributed to alcoholspecific causes, and someone is admitted to hospital every 30 seconds suffering from a condition in which drinking was a factor. In 2009, David Nutt, then chairman of the government’s advisory committee on substance abuse, ranked alcohol as more harmful than illegal drugs such as LSD and ecstasy.

Yet there’s a growing body of evidence that booze, in moderation, can actually be good for you. Red wine in particular has been linked to longevity, a reduced risk of cognitive decline and heart disease, and a lower incidence of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

And what goes for Pinot Noir largely goes for your Beavertown Neck Oil or Homer’s can of Duff. Beer contains as many antioxidants as wine and even small amounts of protein and vitamin B. Studies have shown that sensible beer consumption can slash your odds of developing kidney stones by more than 40%, and that it matches wine-drinking in terms of lowering your heart disease risk. According to a paper in the American Heart Association’s Circulation journal, the soluble fibre in beer can help to reduce your LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels; other studies suggest that the flavonoid xanthohumol in hops protects your brain cells from the oxidative damage associated with old-age memory loss. And pertinently to the Men’s Health reader, research conducted by the University of Miami associated responsible drinking with a 10% increase in your likelihood of engaging in vigorous exercise.

None of which is to suggest that your quest for a six-pack can begin with, well, a six-pack – moderation, remember, is key. But what it does mean is that you needn’t allow guilt to deprive you of your hard-earned pint of post-training beer. After all, enjoying yourself is crucial to good health, fitness and longevity. “We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us,” the poet Charles Bukowski once wrote. “We are here to drink beer.” We’ll raise a glass to that.