Science Says That Boozing at Night Is Good for Brain Health (So You Can Tell People That's Why You Do It)

Look, maybe your particular breed of unwinding involves swigging red wine from a tumbler on your nightstand while you binge watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. We are definitely not here to judge you (and frankly, that sounds like a natural combination). And anyway, beyond just helping you shed the stresses of the day, it turns out that habit might actually be of long-term benefit to your health — which, duh, of course you already knew, and that's why you've been doing it all along. Like going to the gym or eating kale.

According to new research from the Scientific Reports journal as cited by Real Simple, alcohol consumption can reduce inflammation and assist the brain in purging toxins, for instance those associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. 

But you knew there was a catch: The benefit applies to "low to moderate" consumption of alcohol. In that definition, "moderate" means about two and a half drink per day for a person weighing 154 pounds. And actually drinking more than that increases inflammation — so you should keep that in mind. (Perhaps swap the tumbler for, you know, a proper wine glass.)

Still, we'll file this under "thanks, science!" Right along with that recent study showing that taking a hot bath burns more calories than exercise.