In their report, published in the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, the authors explain that research showing certain chemicals in foods can improve memory is extensive, but there is a lack of data on phenolic acids. The team served Champagne (equivalent to a glass per day for people) to lab rats for six weeks and found the rodents showed an improvement in spatial working memory, thanks to improved cell-cycle regulation in the cortex and hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. Lead researcher Dr. Giulia Corona said the tests show promise for humans as well. "Daily supplementation with a low-to-moderate doses of Champagne for six weeks led to an improvement in memory," Corona told Wine Spectator, "indicating phenolic compounds in Champagne may interact directly with nerve cells, improve the communication between cells and encourage nerves that carry electrical signals in the brain to regenerate." In-depth look at alcohol and cancer A recent national study provides a comprehensive examination of links between alcohol and cancer. The researchers, from several public heath centers across the United States, pulled data on hundreds of thousands of deaths from national medical databases from previous studies. They report in the American Journal of Public Health that alcohol use is responsible for 3.5 percent of all cancer deaths, calling it a prominent cause of early mortality. Alcohol has been linked in past studies with seven types of cancer in particular: pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, liver and breast. The risk of cancer, the researchers found, rises when the amount of consumption surpasses the daily-recommended limit of less than two glasses for women and less than three for men. However, they found that 30 percent of alcohol-linked cancer deaths were in a population who still drank within these limits. The authors conclude that the reduction of alcohol consumption should be recommended to those at risk, in the same way smokers are told to quit tobacco. But precisely why alcohol is linked to some cancers remains unclear. To read more, click here