better pour me another

Oh - how very interesting!

According to researchers at the Australian National University, those who drank within safe limits had better verbal skills, memory and speed of thinking than those at the extremes of the drinking spectrum.

These moderate drinkers performed the best and they also seemed to be the healthiest. The study consisted of 7,000 people in their early 20s, 40s and 60s, with 14 to 28 standard drinks a week for a man and seven to 14 for a woman being the safe consumption level.

Questions ranged from verbal reasoning problems to tests of short-term memory. Surprisingly, perhaps, non-drinkers were twice as likely as occasional drinkers to achieve the lowest scores, the study said.

"This does not necessarily show moderate alcohol use is good for our brains - there may be other reasons we haven't measured to explain the poor performance of non-drinkers," Rodgers said.

Results may reflect the fact that alcohol can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and increase blood flow to the brain - factors linked to improved mental function. They also support research that suggests moderate alcohol intake can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by improving circulation.

Apparently, being prudish and being a lush can make you stupid. Who knew?!

And here is Sarah's key to life - "Moderation is key." So true in just about every situation I can think of. Now, a little bit of arsenic...that's not good...moderation is not key. If you thought that would be a good thing to do...maybe you should have another drink.