It's here. The study we've all been waiting for. Watching sport? It's actually good for us.

Specifically, for our mental health; a dementia expert in the UK has used the country's current World Cup success to share the cracking news that sticking the footy on can actually help to keep our mind active.

And - wait for it - it doesn't even have to be a current game. You're going to feel the most benefit from watching old replays, which stimulate your memories and, in turn, your brain.

"Although fans may not feel it this week, football can be good for your nerves," Professor Alistair Burns, the clinical director for dementia at the NHS, said.

"As well as being great physical exercise, there is a positive link between watching classic football matches and keeping the mind active.

"For people in old age and dealing with dementia, re-watching matches can rekindle past memories, connect people with their past and keep the brain active.

"Sport of any kind has a unique power to keep the brain going."

In case you're interested in the science behind it all, the research comes down to the two main types of memory in our brains: Emotional memory and factual memory.

The former is considered to be the most powerful of the two, and that's where sport comes in; reliving the touch-and-go moments of past games stimulates the emotional memory and can help to strengthen brain activity.