Red wine helps you think

Resveratrol increases blood flow to brain

Drinking red wine helps you think, research has shown.

Men and women did better in mental arithmetic tests after being given resveratrol, the ‘wonder ingredient’ in red wine.

It is thought that the plant chemical – said to have abilities from burning off junk food to warding off heart disease – increases blood flow to the brain.

Northumbria University researchers set 24 healthy adults a series of tests before giving them a resveratrol pill or a dummy tablet.

When they were tested again, those that had taken resveratrol performed better, the British Psychological Society's annual conference will hear today. Other tests confirmed that the drug, which is found in grape skins as well as raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and peanuts, widened blood vessels, boosting the brain's blood supply.

Researcher Emma Wightman said: ‘It is interesting that a component you come across in many everyday foods can have a positive effect on brain function.’

Other studies have linked resveratrol with fighting old age, cancer, obesity, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. It is also claimed that just half a glass of red wine a day can greatly cut the odds of death from heart disease.

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