The cognitive-emotional dynamics of organic versus traditional wines: A comparative study

Abstract

In this study, we analyzed the cognitive and emotional effects of organic and traditional wines on a group of regular wine consumers (n = 129). Previous research has demonstrated that alcoholic beverages negatively impact the central nervous system, particularly the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, which play critical roles in cognitive functions such as fluid intelligence, as well as in emotion perception and recognition. Organic wine is primarily distinguished by its lower concentrations of sulfites and malic acid. To assess the cognitive and emotional effects of organic wine, we compared changes in measures of fluid intelligence, state anxiety, and emotional reactions to International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images before and after consumption. Alcohol is known to impair cognitive-emotional processes by reducing attention quality, reasoning capacity, and levels of anxiety and emotional arousal. However, our findings indicated that organic wine exerted a less pronounced negative effect on these processes. Specifically, after consuming organic wine, participants exhibited less impairment in fluid intelligence and a milder effect on emotional arousal and dominance in response to IAPS images. Notably, no significant changes were observed in state anxiety or perceived emotions. These results, when considered alongside previous literature, suggest that organic wine has a lower detrimental impact on the amygdala and, particularly, the PFC. This may be attributed to the reduced levels of sulfites in organic wine, as PFC functionality appears especially susceptible to their effects.