I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

A good week to have a drink:

1. Moderate drinking can protect your memory and cognitive abilities in old age. It can also reduce mini-strokes.

   “Low levels of alcohol appear to have cognitive benefits,” said Francine Grodstein of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, senior author on the study, which is being published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. “Women who consistently were drinking about one-half to one drink per day had both less cognitive impairment as well as less decline in their cognitive function compared to women who didn’t drink at all.”

   While the study involved only women, the findings probably hold true for men, although previous research indicates that men seem to benefit from drinking slightly more – one to two drinks per day, researchers said.

2. Moderate drinking can help women avoid cardiovascular disease.

3. Beer helps fight cancer.

Skoal!