Drinking alcohol can have this surprising benefit, study shows

Researchers published an article in the Journal of Psychopharmacology that shows drinking alcohol can help lower one's inhibitions, which makes it a lot easier to communicate in a foreign language.

Drinking alcohol can have this surprising benefit, study shows
© Getty
Drinking alcohol can have this surprising benefit, study shows

The study included 50 native German speakers who were studying at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Half of their classes were taught in Dutch, and many of the studentsconsumed alcohol in moderation.

Discover our latest podcast

The participants were observed having a two-minute conversation in Dutch by native Dutch speakers. Some of the participants were given water, whilst the others were given an alcoholic beverage. At the time, the Dutch recorders did not know which participates were given the alcoholic drinks versus water.

As quoted in the journal:

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of intelligent alcohol consumption on self-reported verbal language performance evaluated by observers in participants who have recently learned this language.

The conclusion

What was the verdict? The people who were consuming booze were able to hold a conversation much easier than the others. The pronunciation was a lot better than those who just drank water, but the grammar and vocabulary usage was pretty similar between groups.

Although this is good news, the more alcohol you consume, the more impaired you'll be. So remember, it's important to only drink in moderation!

Drinking a beer a day is good for your health, surprising study reveals Drinking a beer a day is good for your health, surprising study reveals