Wine drinkers who stop and smell the rosé may be more likely to stave off Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
A study recently published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that master sommeliers — who have acute senses of smell — also have larger, thicker parts of the brain that are vulnerable to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s than non-wine experts.
“Though we don’t know for sure, there is a possibility that when it comes to the brain, thicker is better,” Dr. Sarah Banks, head of neuropsychology at the Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas and author of the study, tells The Post. “It seems like if you have more brain in those areas, it’ll take longer to feel the effects of the disease, but it’s speculation.”
Banks performed brain scans on 13 master sommeliers and 13 non-wine experts while they smelled wine and fruits and found that the former group had a larger brain reaction to smell — specifically in the areas of the brain that store memory.
Harley Carbery, master sommelier at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and one of the study’s subjects, says his profession requires him to home in on his senses.
“Sommeliers tend to smell things and enjoy things a little bit longer, and we pick up notes and flavors that a lot of other people can’t,” Carbery, 38, tells The Post.
Banks admits more research needs to be done, but adds, “It’s encouraging that these areas have some plasticity, which means those parts of your brain can change even in adulthood.”
She notes that the findings could suggest that living like a sommelier and paying close attention to how things taste could improve your health in the long run. Cheers to that. To view video:
No comments:
Post a Comment