Researchers have found that alcohol, in small doses, can increase memory and concentration in older women and are investigating whether this can help prevent dementia (Drink a day protects aging brain, women’s study shows).

This link is well known in Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine views the heart and the brain as one and the same, because better circulation (i.e., improved heart function) means better oxygenation of the brain, which leads to better mental performance. This is why Chinese medicine treats dementia by enhancing the heart function.

Since alcohol increases circulation, it also sharpens the mind. But excess alcohol damages the liver; in Chinese medicine, the liver ‘feeds’ the heart, so excess alcohol inhibits not only the heart but also the mind.