Alcohol sharpens the mind, according to a new study.
Men who drink beer before solving various tasks perform better than those who have not consumed alcohol, found psychologists from the University of Illinois.
The group of alcohol consumers has more correct answers to the tests and manages to provide them faster, the results show.
It is believed that alcohol interferes with analytical thinking, but stimulates "creative" thoughts and more creative decisions, scientists explain.
The study involved 40 healthy men. Half of them drank two mugs of beer before taking the tests, and the others did not consume any alcohol.
Participants in the first group solved almost 40% more problems posed in the tests than the others and dealt with them in an average of 12 seconds, compared to 15 seconds needed by non-drinkers.
The results were published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition .
Another Spanish study found that excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of memory impairment in young people.
The cause may be due to damage to the hippocampus, according to scientists from the University of Santiago de Compostela.
For the purposes of the study, 122 students aged 18-20 solved a series of language and cognitive tests. Half of the participants have a habit of drinking too much alcohol. The other half also consumed alcoholic beverages, but in moderation.
Analyzing the test results, the researchers found that the group of students who frequently drank alcohol had poorer results than those who consumed alcohol within normal limits.