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A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg
One of my favorite things about Mother’s Day is that it’s a terrific excuse reason to have Champagne for breakfast.
Of course, you can do this anytime you want—and pretty, pretty please invite me over!—but on Mother’s Day, unless you’re visibly pregnant, no one looks at you strangely when you order a bottle of Champagne with your Eggs Benedict (which is a fabulous pairing, by the way).
But here’s an even better reason to toast mom with some bubbly this weekend: new research has just come out that three glasses of Champagne a week can help to improve your memory!
I have to say, this is probably my favorite Mother’s Day gift yet!
As reported by the international edition of The Drinks Business, “Scientists at Reading University say that a regular dose of bubbles can help in the fight against brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.”
They quote Jeremy Spencer, the biochemistry professor who led the research as saying, “Dementia probably starts in the 40s and goes on to the 80s. It is a gradual decline and so the earlier people take these beneficial compounds in champagne, the better.”
The earlier the better is right! Why wait till Sunday when you can pop that cork right now?
Apparently it’s the phenolic acid in the grapes that provides the memory boost.
This isn’t the first time that Champagne’s health benefits have made the news. Sheknows.com reports that in 2009, research from the British Journal of Nutrition found that champagne has health benefits similar to those often attributed to red wine. “Sipping a few glasses of champagne may lower blood pressure and potentially reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease.”
And as early as 2007, an article published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported findings that identify Champagne as a source of brain protection that may help protect the brain from the injuries common with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and stroke. (www.blogcritics.org)
As if we needed yet another great reason to toast our moms this Mother’s Day, cheers to your health … and your mom!
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Leslie Dinaberg
When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”
Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on May 10, 2013.
