Drinking any more than A THIRD of a pint of beer a day impairs people's response time, study finds

Any more than a third of a pint of beer a day impairs people's response time, new research suggests.

As The Daily Mail reports, consuming over 10g, or one unit, of booze every day significantly reduces people's cognitive function, a UK study found.

Alcohol's negative health effects worsen as people age, the research adds.  

The Department of Health recommends no more than 16g of alcohol a day to avoid its negative health effects. This is around two units, with one unit being a third of a pint of beer or half a standard glass of wine. 

Yet, the researchers argue 10g/day, which is around one unit, may be a safer upper limit.  

How the research was carried out 

The researchers, from Oxford University, analysed 13,342 people aged 40 to 72 years old between 2006 and 2010.

They recorded the study's participants' alcohol consumption via questionnaires and interviews.

To assess the participants' cognitive abilities, they were shown two cards simultaneously on a computer screen and had to quickly respond if they matched.

The findings were published in the Journal of Public Health. 

'Alcohol does a lot more damage to health than we thought'

Study author Professor Simon Moore said: 'We cannot hide the fact evidence is accumulating showing that [alcohol] does a lot more damage to health than we previously thought.

'If people want a happy future, they need to know the facts about alcohol before deciding how much to drink,' The Sun reported.

Yet, Tory MP Nigel Evans dismissed the findings as 'absolutely bonkers', arguing many centenarians put their long life spans down to a daily drink.

He adds the stress of changing alcohol guidelines is likely to cause more damage than booze itself.

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