A common pain relievers used by millions could stimulate memory and intelligence, a study revealed.
Ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory taken to relieve headaches, teeth, back pain and cold symptoms, can also speed up reaction times, say researchers say.
The health benefits are so important, they suggest, that the pills are as good for the brain as reducing high blood pressure.
However, taking paracetamol, another common analgesic, has proven to have the opposite effect and could in fact worsen memory.
The study of the University of College London examined the cognitive effects of common drugs for about half a million people in the United Kingdom.
Researchers have discovered that drugs used to treat pain, inflammation, osteoarthritis, heart disease, asthma, allergies and high blood pressure can have the greatest positive effects.
Free analgesic paracetamol and the antidepressant of prescription fluoxetine have had the most negative effects on memory and problem solving.
Researchers point out that their results only suggest a link between drugs and these effects, and are not proof that they cause them directly. But they add that clinical trials of all new drugs should examine the potential impact on the brain to allow doctors to make a choice on the best drugs to take.
Ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory taken to relieve headaches, teeth, back pain and cold symptoms, can also speed up reaction times, say researchers (stock image)
Health benefits are so important, they suggest, that the pills are as good for the brain as reducing high blood pressure (image in stock)
Over -the -counter analgesic paracetamol and prescription antidepressant (photo) have had the most negative effects on memory and problem solving (stock image)
Neurologist Martin Rossor, the main study of the study, said: “The cognitive side effects of commonly used drugs can have a significant impact. Medicines are widely used and many have unfavorable cognitive effects. Consideration must be given to a cognition routine assessment in the tests.
There has been little research on the cognitive effects of common drugs. A problem is that many are most frequently taken by the elderly and often in conjunction with other drugs, which means that it is difficult to isolate which could cause the effect.
Any unfortunate effect on cognition can also be wrongly attributed to the age of advancement.
The study, funded by the charity of the Health Foundation, used medical data of around 540,000 men and women, aged 73. Skills and problem solving capacities.
The scores of those who use drugs have been compared to those who did not use the drug.
The results, published in the journal Brain and Behavior, revealed that people who took one of the ten common drugs performed better in tests than those who did not do so.
Other pain relievers that had a positive effect included aspirin, codeine and diclofenac, also called Voltaren.
Omega 3 triglycerides, used to treat heart disease, glucosamine for osteoarthritis, atorvastatin to lower cholesterol, omeprazole for stomach burns, indigestion drug lansoprazole and those who took multivitamin have also seen advantages.
Migraine was also linked to the biggest negative effects.
