Drinking wine a form of exercise, study says

Red Wine. File photo

Indulging ourselves in a glass of wine every now and then is often considered as leisure activity.

But according to a recent study, drinking the fermented juice can be considered as an exercise, as it makes human brains work harder than any other physical activity.

According to the book “Neuroenology: How the Brain Creates the Taste of Wine,” published by neurologist Dr. Gordon M. Shepherd of Yale School of Medicine, drinking and smelling wine triggers the brain to require “exquisite control of one of the biggest muscles in the body.”

Contrary to popular belief, Sheperd also suggested that wine molecules don’t actually contain any flavor and that it’s the brain’s function that perceives the taste.

“The taste is not in the wine; the taste is created by the brain of the wine taster,” Shepherd wrote, as relayed by The New York Post.  “Factors including age, gender, the genetic makeup of our saliva and whether or not we’re depressed can also impact how we taste wine.

The American scholar also wrote that wine molecules create emotional and sensory reactions to humans, which may spark cognitive functions such as  memory, pattern recognition and pleasure.

However, Shephard still warned drinkers to keep their dosage in moderation,  in order to fully maximize its benefits. “Too big a gulp and you’ve saturated your system,” he wrote.  Khristian Ibarrola /ra