Whether it’s a glass of fizz at 9am on Christmas day or a bottle of bubbles to celebrate friendmas, prosecco really has become the cornerstone of festive fun. Nothing says celebration like a cork popping and fizzy stuff spilling all over the place. Just the sound of the bottle opening in good company is enough to make you feel great. And, while it should go without saying that drinking too much is always bad for you (to help lower your risk of “alcohol-related harm”, the NHS has published a number of recommended guidelines online), it turns out that the odd glass of responsibly enjoyed prosecco might actually have some unexpected health benefits.

So, in the name of serious research, we’ve been digging through the research to how prosecco might actually help our brain, heart and skin health.

We always knew that prosecco held a very special place in our hearts, but we didn’t know it was working wonders while it was in there.

According to research conducted by scientists at the University of Reading, those boozy bubbles contain polyphenols (plant chemicals laden with antioxidant properties) which help to lower your blood pressure and increase your circulation. That, in turn, reduces your chances of having a stroke. Sip a glass once a week to reap the benefits, says the paper’s author Dr Jeremy Spencer.

Writing in The Healing Power of Champagne, Tran Ky says that sparkling wine contains natural trace elements of zinc, magnesium, and potassium. We probably wouldn’t recommend looking to fizz as your main source of these nutrients (you can get them in much higher quantities from nuts, dark leafy veg and bananas), but it’s still a positive given the fact that each mineral has been proven to be serious mood boosters. 

In an unexpected twist of fate, prosecco is actually good for our respiratory systems; like so many other varieties of white wine, the bubbly tipple is believed to keep lung tissues healthy. As reported by the BBC, a research team from the University at Buffalo carried out tests on a random sample of 1,555 people from New York. In each case, researchers carried out lung function tests and collected information about alcohol consumption.

Researcher Dr Holger Schunemann said: “Red wine in moderation has been shown to be beneficial for the heart, but in this case the relationship was stronger for white wine.”

Prosecco is here to help us climax – and, yes, we’re deadly serious. According to the Journal of Sexual Medicine, women who drink one to two glasses of bubbles enjoy heightened sexual desire. Again, it’s all thanks to the drink’s rich antioxidant profile; this triggers nitric oxide production in the blood, which relaxes artery walls, and increases blood flow down south, creating feelings of sexual excitement.

While you may have alcohol pegged as terrible for your memory (drink too much and recollections from the night before can start to get a little hazy), it turns out prosecco could be good news when it comes to boosting your cognitive functions.

Research from The University of Reading has shown that drinking one or two glasses of bubbly a week may counteract the memory loss associated with ageing. There is even some evidence to suggest that it could help delay the onset of degenerative brain disorders, such as dementia – although, as the study was not conducted on humans, health experts have urged prosecco fans to err on the side of caution.

Professor Jeremy Spencer, who conducted the study, cautions: “We encourage a responsible approach to alcohol consumption and our results suggest that a very low intake of one to two glasses a week can be effective.” 

Just like red wine, prosecco contains flavonoids that have antioxidant properties, which can help prevent cancer. In fact, according to a study from the University of Barcelona, white wines may have a higher antioxidant capacity than red wines. 

If you fancy boosting the flavonoid content of your tipple, we recommend popping the odd antioxidant-rich strawberry or raspberry into your champagne flute – and be sure to eat them by the time you reach the end of your glass.

All those antioxidants we keep talking about? Studies have proven time and time again that it detoxifies, smooths, evens, and plumps your skin – and it’s particularly good for those who suffer from oily skin, or people who have to deal with breakouts on a regular basis.

Just remember that less is definitely more when it comes to drinking. Prosecco hangovers tend to be absolutely wretched, and we know that many of us are drinking well above the recommended daily limit. To maximise the plus sides of prosecco, be sure to drink in the company of others as moderate social drinking can actually be actively good for us. 

To help lower your risk of “alcohol-related harm”, the NHS has published a number of recommended guidelines online.

These include:

• not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week
• if you drink as much as 14 units a week, it’s best to spread this evenly over three or more days
• if you’re trying to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, it’s a good idea to have several alcohol-free days each week

The guidelines add: “Regular or frequent drinking means drinking alcohol most weeks. The risk to your health is increased by drinking any amount of alcohol on a regular basis”.

You can calculate how many units of alcohol are in a variety of different drinks using the Drink Aware unit calculator here.

Images: Getty