BOSTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- In the largest ever study to assess alcohol's impact on brain, scientists appear to support women drinking little amounts of wine, beer or spirits.
The study, while recognizing the adverse effects of excess alcohol intake on cognitive functions, wanted to know the impact of moderate consumption.
It said that in women, up to one drink per day does not impair cognitive function and may actually decrease the risk of cognitive decline, the Washington Post reported.
"Low levels of alcohol appear to have cognitive benefits," said Francine Grodstein of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, senior author of the study, whose results were published in Wednesday's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Women who consistently were drinking about one-half to one drink per day had both less cognitive impairment as well as less decline in their cognitive function compared to women who didn't drink at all."
The study involved more than 12,000 elderly women.
While the study involved only women, the findings probably hold true for men, although previous research indicates that men seem to benefit from drinking slightly more -- one to two drinks per day, the Post said.
