posted
03/9/12
What man doesn’t love a drink every now and again? The kind of man we don’t trust very much. Since the days of the ancient Germans, people have known what makes for the good life: wine, women and song. We’re not big wine drinkers, but we back the sentiment. After a long day of work, few things beat relaxing with a cold brew or some top-shelf Scotch. There’s just one problem. Some eggheads claim drinking is somehow “detrimental to your health.” We’ve got some news them: some other eggheads say drinking is actually good for you. Here are just a few of the wonderful byproducts of booze.
1. Better Job Performance
This actually explains an awful lot.
Anyone who has ever called in sick because of a hangover (i.e. amateurs) is going to be shocked by this one: moderate drinkers have lower rates of absenteeism than their teetotaling counterparts. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who don’t drink, quit drinking or drink a ton were absent from work about 1.2 times as much as those who have a couple drinks and call it a night. The study also found those drinkers do better work and earn more. One researcher stated that, “the higher rate of sickness absences among non-drinkers than among moderate drinkers may result from a lack of the protective effects of alcohol intake.” Please remember the phrase “protective effects of alcohol intake.” It’ll come in handy eventually.
2. Quicker Wits
Hey, what’s good enough for Bukowski is good enough for us.
When you have a couple drinks, you don’t stop making sense. You start making the most sense you’ve ever made in your life. At least, that’s what a study from neuroscience journal Consciousness and Cognition says. Under the premise that liquor fosters creativity, 20 people watched a cartoon while snacking and drinking vodka. The drinkers were then given three words and had to come up with a fourth that united them all. For example, when given “arm,” “peach” and “tar,” the proper answer is “pit.” The drinkers were able to supply the right answer about four seconds faster than the non-drinkers. The reason? Well, the most obvious one. When you drink, you can’t keep your mouth shut.
3. Long-Term Mental Strength
You can’t tell because of the morph suit, but this man is 106 years old. And really freakin’ smart.
It isn’t just that drinkers are better at cute little word games. They also have better cognitive functioning over the long term, even into old age. A study in the New England Journal Of Medicine found that not only did moderate drinkers have better cognitive functioning than nondrinkers, there were also no significantly increased cognitive risks associated with higher levels of drinking. Further, it doesn’t matter what you drink. Want a beer? Have a beer. Want some Scotch? Go for it, brother. Science says it keep those brain juices flowing.
