Is Wine Really Better at Stimulating Your Brain Than Math?

We all know that keeping our brains stimulated is extremely important.

After all, you want to have a good memory as you get older. And you don’t much fancy the idea of your brain slowing down as you age. That means you need to challenge your brain constantly so that you’re learning new things to keep it stimulated.

Of course, there are a ton of ways that you can do this.

Learning a new language is a great one. Studies show that those who know a second language tend to have better cognitive function, especially as they age, than those who don’t.

If that sounds a little too much like hard work, you could always give a few math problems a try. Your brain loves to get stuck into problems, even if you’re not particularly a fan. The more you challenge it, the more you’ll stimulate.

But what if you’re not a fan of math either? What can you do to stimulate your brain then?

Of course, there are still plenty of options open to you. But one that you might never have considered is to drink Italian wine!

Sounds crazy, right?

Not according to a Yale-based neuroscientist…

The Research

We can tell that you’re still very much doubting what we just told you.

You’ve drank Italian wine before and you’ve felt the effects that it has on your brain. Sure, you might feel stimulated and energetic at first. But once you’ve had a glass too many, there isn’t a whole lot of useful stuff coming out of that brain of yours.

Don’t worry…we’re all the same way.

Overindulgence will completely reverse what we’re about to tell you.

The trick here is to drink the right amount!

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, so let’s get back into the research.

Now, you’ve probably heard that Italian wine has a number of health benefits. You know it’s great for your heart and can even help to protect you against strokes. Some research suggests that it may even help to protect you from cancer.

But in all of these cases, there’s a very common thread.

The benefits you get come from drinking the wine. And again, you have to limit yourself to a small amount (about a glass per day) to experience them.

But when it comes to your brain, it’s not getting the wine into your system that unleashes the benefits.

It’s tasting the stuff.

That’s according to Dr. Gordon Shepherd, who’s a neuroscientist at Yale. He describes what happens when you first taste a good wine:

“It involves multiple sensory and motor systems, as well as central conceptual systems for cognition and memory — and systems for emotion and pleasure.”

That’s a lot of science speak and we’re not sure that even we fully understand it.

So, let’s break it down into something a little simpler.

Your sense of taste is probably the most complex sense that you have. Just think of the multitude of things that you’ve tasted over the years and you will see that for yourself.

Now, whenever you put something in your mouth, your tastebuds immediately start exploring it. And as quick as a shot, they’ll start sending signals to your brain. Your brain interprets all of those signals to work out just what this thing in your mouth tastes like.

It’s a far more complex process than we make it sound here. And it’s this very complexity that makes wine such an amazing brain stimulant.

The Complexity of Italian Wine

You’ve heard us speak many times about the many different notes that Italian wines can have. Producers work tirelessly to create this complex combination of notes for you to enjoy.

And it’s that very complexity that plays a role in the stimulating effect that wine can have on your brain.

In fact, you can practically feel this in action if you take some time to think about it. For every sip of wine, your tastebuds are picking up all sorts of flavours. They’re pulling the notes about as well as figuring out how they mesh together to create the more cohesive and full flavour of the wine.

In other words, your tongue and your brain end up doing a lot of work!

You’re creating a sensory sensation that your brain needs to work out. And wine is quite unlike anything else that you might taste, at least when it comes to complexity. As such, it would make perfect sense that wine stimulates your brain more than any other type of food or drink.

But it goes much further than that…

Wine Works Better Than Maths

According to Dr. Shepherd, wine isn’t just better than other foods at stimulating your brain.

It’s actually better than a lot of the activities you’d usually engage in, such as solving maths problems.

In explaining this, Dr. Shepherd points to the mental gymnastics your brain has to go through in order for you to taste wine:

“In the same way, molecules in food and wine have no flavour in themselves, our sensory systems create our perceptions of flavour.”

Basically, your brain, coupled with your sensory organs, make up the flavour of wine on the spot. Of course, it’s a lot more complex than that and is all about the many patterns that your brain identifies over the years of you tasting things. But the point is that even a single taste of wine is enough to prompt these mental gymnastics.

Are You Ready to Stimulate Your Brain?

Now, we’re not going to say that drinking Italia wine will make you a genius…

But according to Dr. Shepherd, it won’t harm your chances. Of course, this all assumes that you drink in moderation and focus more on tasting than actually consuming.

Still, it’s an interesting study in just what our brains have to go through in order for use to appreciate a good glass of Italian wine.

So, are you ready to stimulate your brain? Check out the Xtrawine store today to find plenty of wines that are waiting just for you.