At this point in life, most of us have heard from non-drinkers about how bad beer is for you. You've heard 'em, it's the same crowd that decries beer, and actually claim this adult beverage leads the unsuspecting drinker down the road to alcoholism. Well, the truth is, beer is no more a gateway drink to alcoholism than aspirin is a gateway drug to being a drug addict. Moderation is the key here, like it is in everything else we eat, enjoy or look forward to. And next to water, beer is the best thirst quencher ever invented. Fact is, there is ample medical evidence to actually support moderate beer drinking, in order to get the many health benefits of beer.
Did you know there is a Spanish study showing that beer may be better at hydrating the body than water alone, if you're sweating in the great outdoors? Beer is 95% water, plus this ale provides a natural list of anti-oxidants like flavanoids and other natural ingredients that replenish the body in a positive way. After all, beer is brewed using a variety of plants including barley, oats, rye and hops, and should probably be marketed as the original, ultimate vegetarian drink.
Health benefits of beer have been around a long, long time
As far as alcoholic beverages go, beer is the oldest and is referenced back thousands of years to our earliest cultures. Today, beer is widely enjoyed and is in fact the third most popular beverage on the planet, just behind water and tea. People around the globe enjoy its natural fermentation, as well as the huge variety of ingredients used to influence and change the taste of different beers. In moderation, people have learned that the health benefits of beer can provide many things, naturally.
The medical health benefits of beer
Did you know that if men drink up to two beers a day, they can lower their risk of stroke and heart disease by 20%? Women can get the same benefit by limiting themselves to one brew a day. How does beer do this? A study at Harvard reports that moderate beer drinking increases your HDL (your good cholesterol), which helps prevent platelet build-up in your arteries, and can help prevent blood clotting. Plus, beer contains B6, which lowers homocysteine levels, a major risk factor of heart disease. Another study, conducted by Italy's Fondazion di Ricerca e Cura, pointed towards more health benefits of beer, finding that people who drank about a pint of beer daily had a 31% reduced risk of heart disease.
As mentioned, the natural nutrients in beer are abundant, and contain B2 and a host of other B vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and flavanoids that help nourish the body. Flavanoids are natural anti-oxidants, and help fight the free radicals in the body that create illness and disease. Health benefits of beer even include a reduction in the incidence of kidney stones, help you relax and sleep better, even reduce your blood pressure. A little moderate beer drinking won't hurt you, but will actually help you immensely, naturally.
Health benefits of beer include strengthening your bones
In a study provided to us by UC Davis, we learn that beer contains silicon, a natural element your body needs that stimulates collagen. Collegen is the protein that gives your bones their strength. The UC Davis study has linked moderate beer drinking with higher-bone density! The silicon in the beer will make your skeletal structure, stronger. But just a word of caution here. Health benefits of beer have limits, because the study also showed that more than 2 beers a day increased risk for fractures.
Of course, with any alcoholic beverage, moderation is your key to enjoying the drink. The consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol is irresponsible in any form, and can give you every ailment, that moderate drinking can help you avoid. Life's a balance, right? So just be your responsible self. Guys, limit your brewski's to a couple a day. Ladies, you get just one. But looking at the ample positive evidence of moderate, responsible beer drinking, it's nice to report that the health benefits of beer are there for you to drink and enjoy.
Did you know there is a Spanish study showing that beer may be better at hydrating the body than water alone, if you're sweating in the great outdoors? Beer is 95% water, plus this ale provides a natural list of anti-oxidants like flavanoids and other natural ingredients that replenish the body in a positive way. After all, beer is brewed using a variety of plants including barley, oats, rye and hops, and should probably be marketed as the original, ultimate vegetarian drink.
Health benefits of beer have been around a long, long time
As far as alcoholic beverages go, beer is the oldest and is referenced back thousands of years to our earliest cultures. Today, beer is widely enjoyed and is in fact the third most popular beverage on the planet, just behind water and tea. People around the globe enjoy its natural fermentation, as well as the huge variety of ingredients used to influence and change the taste of different beers. In moderation, people have learned that the health benefits of beer can provide many things, naturally.
The medical health benefits of beer
Did you know that if men drink up to two beers a day, they can lower their risk of stroke and heart disease by 20%? Women can get the same benefit by limiting themselves to one brew a day. How does beer do this? A study at Harvard reports that moderate beer drinking increases your HDL (your good cholesterol), which helps prevent platelet build-up in your arteries, and can help prevent blood clotting. Plus, beer contains B6, which lowers homocysteine levels, a major risk factor of heart disease. Another study, conducted by Italy's Fondazion di Ricerca e Cura, pointed towards more health benefits of beer, finding that people who drank about a pint of beer daily had a 31% reduced risk of heart disease.
As mentioned, the natural nutrients in beer are abundant, and contain B2 and a host of other B vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and flavanoids that help nourish the body. Flavanoids are natural anti-oxidants, and help fight the free radicals in the body that create illness and disease. Health benefits of beer even include a reduction in the incidence of kidney stones, help you relax and sleep better, even reduce your blood pressure. A little moderate beer drinking won't hurt you, but will actually help you immensely, naturally.
Health benefits of beer include strengthening your bones
In a study provided to us by UC Davis, we learn that beer contains silicon, a natural element your body needs that stimulates collagen. Collegen is the protein that gives your bones their strength. The UC Davis study has linked moderate beer drinking with higher-bone density! The silicon in the beer will make your skeletal structure, stronger. But just a word of caution here. Health benefits of beer have limits, because the study also showed that more than 2 beers a day increased risk for fractures.
Of course, with any alcoholic beverage, moderation is your key to enjoying the drink. The consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol is irresponsible in any form, and can give you every ailment, that moderate drinking can help you avoid. Life's a balance, right? So just be your responsible self. Guys, limit your brewski's to a couple a day. Ladies, you get just one. But looking at the ample positive evidence of moderate, responsible beer drinking, it's nice to report that the health benefits of beer are there for you to drink and enjoy.