Turns Out Alcohol Consumption Could Boost Your Memory

We’ve all experienced that awful feeling of waking up hungover with only a vague recollection of the night before. However, research conducted by the University of Exeter drinking alcohol can help in boosting one’s memory. The team of researchers found that people who drink alcohol after studying are better at recalling information than those who do not consume alcohol.

88 social drinkers were given a word-learning task. Participants were then split in two groups at random and told either to drink as much as they liked (the average was four units) or not to drink at all. The next day, they all did the same task again – and those who had drunk alcohol remembered more of what they had learned.

“Our research not only showed that those who drank alcohol did better when repeating the word-learning task, but that this effect was stronger among those who drank more,” said Professor Celia Morgan, of the University of Exeter. However, the researchers were clear to stress that this is a limited positive effect which does not outweigh the negative effects.

Finally, an explanation for how I got through a majority of exams hungover. Turns out, I was secretly retaining information – memory booster for sure!