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Drink Up - Beer is Good for You!
Posted: July 1st, 2004Posted By: Mike G

Beer T’Ales: Here’s to Your Well-Being

BEER T'ALES:HERE'S TO YOUR WELL-BEING
More and more experts are connecting
beer with good health
By Aileen Corr

"Beer, if drank in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health." - Thomas Jefferson

Whatever flaws Jefferson might have had, you have to admit he knew his beer. He wasn't the only person to connect beer with good health, or even the first.

Hippocrates (as in the Hippocratic oath sworn by doctors to this day) used beer to lower fevers in the fifth century BC. Aretus of Cappadocia, another ancient medic, recommended beer to battle diabetes and migraines.

Since the 18th century though, beer's reputation in regards to human health has taken a serious beating. Alcohol in general, and often beer specifically, is frowned upon by most diets and "healthy eating" plans. Lord knows, Oprah has never recommended it. Same for Dr. Atkins and Jenny Craig.

But it looks like that's starting to change. The medical community, spurred on by studies showing the benefits of moderate wine consumption, have turned some of their attention to the health benefits of beer, and found much of interest. More than 3,000 beer-related research studies have been completed, and there's good news.

News flash everybody: drinking beer in moderation is actually good for you, as far as any doctors can tell.

And what counts as moderation? No more than three beers a day.? Any more than that and you risk losing the health benefits. But if you can keep it to one or two brews after work, you'll be doing yourself a huge favour.

Here's the info so far on beer and health:
  • The average bottle of beer (considered to be 355ml and 5% alcohol) has 140 calories, 14 grams of carbohydrate, and no fat

  • Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, so the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calorie count

  • Light beers have lower alcohol content, and usually have about 100 calories per bottle, six to nine grams of carbohydrate, and are worth two points on the Weight Watchers scale.

  • Sleeman has decided to target the low-carb dieters with its new Sleeman Clear, which has only 90 calories and 2.5 grams of carbs, following American brewers like Miller and Michelob, both of which advertise their light, low-carb brews

  • Many beers contain vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6, as well as folic acid, potassium, biotin, magnesium, selenium and phosphorus, all of which are important for good health.

  • The hops used in beer have shown potential as cancer-fighting agents and as a possible alternative to the Hormone Replacement Therapy currently common among menopausal women, and a University of Munich study showed non-alcoholic beer increases milk production in nursing mothers

  • The German Alcohol Institute in Heidelberg has developed a high xanthohumol beer, increasing the level of this anti-oxidizing chemical present in hops (anti-oxidants are commonly considered cancer fighters)

  • The Polish and Czech governments subsidize "beer therapy" as an inexpensive and effective treatment for urological problems like kidney stones

  • Beer has an anti-bacterial effect which reduces the risk of helicobacter infection, which has been linked to some ulcers and stomach cancer

  • A study of 38,000 male medical professionals showed that moderate alcohol consumption reduced the risk of "cardiovascular incident" (i.e. heart attacks) by 32%

  • A Harvard Alumni Health study showed that moderate beer consumption reduced the risk of prostate cancer, while wine and hard liquor did not

  • Researchers have begun investigating alcohol as treatment for cardiovascular disease, as it reduces LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) and blood clotting, and increases HDL (the "good" cholesterol)

  • Magnesium (one of the healthful minerals in beer) protects against irregular heartbeats

  • A study at deKuiper Hospital in Dallas, Texas, found that subjects who consumed 5-10 drinks per week had the lowest incidence of diabetes

  • The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study found that moderate alcohol consumers were less likely to suffer hearing loss as they age

  • A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that moderate drinkers who don't smoke are better able to resist viral infections like the common cold
The moral of this story is that drinking a six pack a week is not the end of the world, and can help reduce your risk for health problems. Just don't expect your doctor to start prescribing you beer, and don't down that six pack in one sitting.

The key to every beneficial result that researchers have found is small amounts of alcohol several times a week.

Trying to cram all your drinking into the weekend is far worse than not drinking at all. Still, if you can manage the moderation, beer can be good for you.

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