If you want to think clearly, you probably shouldn’t go out and get wasted. But if you’ve ever felt like talking through a situation over a pint helped you make good decisions, you might actually be on to something. Science says so.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center tested the effect of alcohol on the brain in different quantities. Their findings showed that moderate amounts of alcohol might actually improve the health of your brain.

In the study, some mice were essentially fed enough alcohol to get really drunk every day, others were given the equivalent of two and a half drinks, and a third group was given no drinks at all. To no one’s surprise, the drunk mice experienced a decline in motor skills and an increase in brain inflammation. But the mice who were given more moderate amounts of alcohol actually performed better in the tests than the mice who were completely sober. The moderate drinkers had a decrease in brain inflammation, their cognitive and motor skills matched those of the sober mice, and they had more effective glymphatic systems than the rest of the mice.

“What the heck is a glymphatic system and why does it matter?” you might ask. Well, it’s actually super important. Throughout the day, waste products can build up in your nervous system. Too much of these products can contribute to neural diseases, including potential Alzheimer’s. But the glymphatic system flushes these waste products out of your system while you sleep, so the fact that alcohol makes the glymphatic system more effective is a huge deal.

“Of course, we cannot say anything about humans because mice are different. They have a much faster metabolism,” Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, the study’s lead author, told Newsweek. “If anything, [the alcohol] should be a lower amount in humans.” Keep in mind that mice who drank too much experienced worsened glymphatic system functionality.

So basically, drinking too much is bad for you. But drinking a little? It might be really good for you. Thanks for the hot tip, science!