Some excellent news about beer...

Beer Makes You Smart!

So have one or two ... or even more!

(Image from Wikipedia)

Malcolm Pollack has directed our attention to some excellent news published in a recent issue of Scientific American (September 26, 2007): "Don't Forget: Drink a Beer -- Or Two -- Daily!"

Since the research reported on in the article indicates that "alcohol consumption may actually enhance memory," we should perhaps note that drinking a beer or two will actually enable us to better recall the importance of drinking a beer or two. Or is it three? I'd better have another beer to help me recall. Maybe actually reading the article would also help. Here's what one of the researchers states:

"There are human epidemiological data of others indicating that mild [to] moderate drinking may paradoxically improve cognition in people compared to abstention," says Maggie Kalev, a research fellow in molecular medicine and pathology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and a co-author of an article in The Journal of Neuroscience describing results of a study she and other researchers performed on rats. "This is similar to a glass of wine protecting against heart disease, however the mechanism is different."

Oh, yeah -- wine, too! Right, gotta remember to keep these benefits distinct. But still, is it only one or two beers a day that I'm allowed in addition to that glass of wine? Reading further:

According to Kalev, it is hard to relate the alcohol the rats consumed to human quantities, but "based on their blood alcohol levels, the 2.5 percent ethanol diet was equivalent to a level of consumption that does not exceed [the] legal driving limit. This may be approximately one to two drinks per day for some people or two to three for others, depending upon their size, metabolism or genetic background."

Right! There it is. Not just one or two beers but even two or three! Possibly even four, depending on one's metabolism? The article doesn't explicitly say four, but I do believe that we're allowed the hermeneutic freedom to infer that meaning -- and likely even more than four. That's what's meant by the words "depending upon their size, metabolism or genetic background," and given that our precise empirical data is still so sparse in this area, then one can only determine one's own personal, recommended Dietary Reference Intake of alcohol through rough experience.

I've already forwarded the results of this study to John Wells, author of the weekly Official Size & Weight EBeer ENews Email -- about whom and which, I've previously reported. John is already conducting some independent research to confirm this report of alcohol's beneficial effect on memory:

If I've ever read that, I don't remember. Clear evidence as to my next move. I'm off to the refrigerator.

Me, too. And thanks to Malcolm Pollack and his Wild, Wacky Website for directing me to this excellent -- nay, this truly most excellent -- news. I'm already celebrating with him, as you can see from a comment that I'm posting to his blog report:

This is excellent news, far beyond my wildest dreams. Beer actually does make people smarter! My old joke about how it made bud wiser is even true!

I’ve already informed my skeptical wife and am celebrating this profoundly unexpected, wonderful news with a beer.

I just had another beer.

Jus’ had another.

An’ another.

‘nother.

‘other

Wha’sa ‘ell I cel’bratin’?

Jefry ‘odg’s

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