Science says consuming wine and cheese daily is good for your brain

Mar 24, 2022

Cab sav and camembert all around, then?

It’s gouda news for cheese fiends and vino aficionados: a new study shows that consuming more wine and cheese may help to protect against age-related cognitive decline.

The research findings by Iowa State University, which was published as part of a larger study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that individuals who consumed specific foods regularly were more likely to show mental acuity later in life.

Researchers analysed data collected from 1,787 adults between the ages of 46 and 77 to find out which dietary modifications could be linked to the prevention of age-related cognitive decline.

Participants completed a Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT), which provides an in-time snapshot of an individual’s ability to “think on the fly.” Participants then answered questions about their intake of specific foods, including fresh fruit, dried fruit, raw vegetables and salad, cooked vegetables, oily fish, lean fish, processed meat, poultry, beef, lamb, pork, cheese, bread, cereal, tea and coffee, beer and cider, red wine, white wine, champagne and liquor.

The study yielded four significant findings. Researchers concluded that cheese was, by far, the most protective food against age-related cognitive problems, even late into life. They also found daily consumption of alcohol – specifically red wine – was related to improvements in cognitive function.

Interestingly enough, weekly consumption of lamb (but not other red meats) was also shown to improve long-term cognitive prowess.

The study also concluded that excess salt consumption was associated with cognitive problems, but that only individuals already at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease needed to watch their intake.

Needless to say, with cognitive health as the focus of the study, the research should be taken with *ahem* a grain of salt, since plenty of other studies have shown that excessive salt intake can affect other aspects of your health.

“I was pleasantly surprised that our results suggest that responsibly eating cheese and drinking red wine daily are not just good for helping us cope with our current COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps also dealing with an increasingly complex world that never seems to slow down,” said principal investigator, Auriel Willette.

“While we took into account whether this was just due to what well-off people eat and drink, randomised clinical trials are needed to determine if making easy changes in our diet could help our brains in significant ways.”

Read the full study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease here.