Your health: Could champagne prevent dementia?

Could champagne prevent dementia?

Maybe it's OK to indulge in a bit of the bubbly this holiday season. Drinking champagne may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease, scientists have found.

A compound found in pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes used to make bubbly is said to prevent the onset of the brain diseases, the EveningStandard reports.

The study found that phenolic compounds in champagne improved spatial memory, which records information about the environment and then stores the information for future needs.

The research, which was based on an experiment involving rats, was published by academics at Reading University.

Academics said people who regularly drink champagne up to three times each week could boost their spatial memory.

A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Society described the study as “interesting” but added, “A lot more research is needed.”

Survey reveals best time to call in sick

Maybe the holidays have you stressed, or you're really tired, or you just need to take a day of self-care.

You want to call in sick. But, the worst thing is planning to call in sick, getting to the day, messing up the all-important phone call and being told to come into the office, sharpish.

So it's important to get strategic — and part of that is knowing the best time and day to call in, Metro reports.

According to a study of 1,000 employees conducted by market research company Attest, the best time to call in sick is Tuesday morning at 6.38 a.m. And the best excuse for pulling a sickie is referring to “stomach problems.”

This is when you'll be most likely to be believed and won't be called out for your fakery, unlike on Mondays and Fridays, when it's pretty obvious that you're just trying to have a long weekend.