Beer and Health

Traditional beer is healthy, it is a good source of B vitamins, contains no fat, can lower harmful cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease when drunk in moderation. It is very high in silicon which is good news for osteoporosis sufferers. Considerably lower in calories than wines and spirits.

Aug 17, 2004 - Researchers based at University College London have found that drinking alcohol, even in low amounts, might be associated with higher cognitive ability, particularly for women. (hmmm) Compared with abstainers, persons drinking one or two units of alcohol per day had a significantly lower risk of poor cognitive function - they said.

Apr 28, 2000 - A new study indicates beer is better for your heart than red wine.

That's because beer contains vitamin B6, which prevents the build up of an amino acid called homocysteine that has been linked to heart disease. Dutch researchers found that homocysteine levels did not increase after drinking beer, but rose nearly 10 percent after drinking wine.

"Such an increase in homocysteine coincides with a 10 to 20% increase in cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Henk Hendriks, who directed the study at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in Utrecht. Hendriks found that those who drank beer had a 30% increase in vitamin B6 in their blood plasma.

Hendriks said beer may have various benefits for the heart. Moderate consumption "affects many processes in the body, one of which is the significant increase in HDL cholesterol - the good cholesterol."

However, he added, "One should not drink alcohol to become healthy."

Nov 18, 1999 - A new study finds that an occasional drink may lower the risk of having a stroke by 20%. Numerous studies have shown that modest drinking reduces the risk of heart disease. But until now, the evidence of an effect on strokes has been less convincing.

The study, which appears in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found that light to moderate drinkers can lower their risk by about 20% compared to teetotalers. It showed that as little as a single glass of wine or beer per week could significantly reduce stroke risk. The study involved more than 22,000 men. One of the researchers said the results could also apply to women.