The Benefits of beer For health are multiple: it improves cardiovascular health, prevents diabetes, reduces the risk of developing kidney stones, prevents strokes, strengthens bones, improves sleep quality, prevents the common cold and others I will explain later.
Although these properties are numerous, they are relatively little known due to the fear present in the medical community about the possible excess consumption. On the other hand, it is important to keep in mind that these benefits are given With moderate consumption .
Beer is any alcoholic beverage made by the fermentation of the grain, just as wine is any alcoholic beverage made by the fermentation of the fruit. In the vast majority of the world's beers, the grain base is barley.
Beer production is called fermentation, which involves the fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from cereal grain starches, more commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize and rice are widely used.
Most beer is flavored with hops, which adds bitterness and acts as a natural preservative, although other aromas such as herbs or fruits may occasionally be included.
Beer is one of the oldest drinks in the world, possibly going back to the Neolithic early or 9500 BC, when the cereal began to be cultivated. It has been recorded in the written history of Ancient Iraq and Ancient Egypt.
Archaeologists speculate that beer was an important tool in the formation of civilizations. Approximately 5000 years ago, workers in the city of Uruk (Iraq) were paid by their employers with beer.
During the construction of the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, each worker received a daily ration of four to five liters of beer, which served both nutrition and refreshment.
Properties for beer health
1- Protect the heart
A research team from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania , Found that black beers and generally dark beers can reduce the incidence of heart attacks.
Also exist studies Of cases that have shown a relationship between moderate alcohol consumption (especially of beer or wine) with a decrease in cardiovascular events and mortality.
However, these studies emphasize how clearly detrimental to the cardiovascular system is excessive alcohol, so more than three beers a day are no longer beneficial.
2- Decreases the risk of diabetes
It appears that middle-aged men who drink two beers a day may reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to Harvard School of Public Health .
The study published in 2011 by the journal American Diabetes Association , Examined data on 38,000 middle-aged American men over a 20-year period (between 1986 and 2006), who were interviewed every four years throughout the process.
Although two beers help, the study also investigated how changes in alcohol consumption (decrease or increase) also affect the risk of type 2 diabetes.
They indicated that its purpose is not to incite the practice of their consumption without medical accompaniment, but to publish studies that can give us all an idea about the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.
3- Reduces the risk of kidney stones
A study Suggests that the risk of developing kidney stones decreases with increasing beer consumption.
Finnish researchers, led by Dr. Tero Hirvonen of the National Institute of Public Health in Helsinki, studied 27,000 middle-aged men and concluded that one bottle of beer per day reduces risk by 40 percent.
The authors of the study observed that both the water and alcohol found in beer increases the flow of urine and dilutes it, which reduces the risk of stone formation.
In addition, they said that alcohol can also increase calcium excretion, which is the main cause of kidney stones.
4 - It reduces the risk of cerebrovascular accidents
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, there is a connection between moderate alcohol consumption and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in both men and women.
It seems that people who drink moderate amounts of beer can reduce the risk of suffering Stroke Up to 50 percent compared to non-drinkers.
Ischemic strokes are the most common type of stroke and occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
However, when beer is drunk the arteries become more flexible and blood flow improves significantly. As a result, there is no formation of blood clots, and the risk of stroke is lower.
As in other cases, they also found that a totally adverse effect occurs when alcohol is abused.
5- Strengthens the bones
Researchers at the Center for Human Nutrition Research on Aging"Jean Mayer"( HNRCA ) In Tufts, found a positive association between beer (and wine) and increased bone density. The Results Suggest that regular and moderate consumption of beer or wine may have protective effects on bones.
In this article You can know the benefits of red wine in health.
Previous research suggests that moderate alcohol use in men and postmenopausal women may protect against loss of bone mineral density, which is a major risk factor for osteoporosis, according to Katherine Tucker of HNRCA.
However, the authors observed the opposite effect in men who consumed more than two servings of liquor per day as they showed lower bone mineral density in the hip and spine.
6- Helps to treat insomnia
According to the investigation Indiana University School of Medicine, taking a tiny portion of 15 milliliters of beer (the equivalent of a tablespoon), stimulates Dopamine In the brain, a chemical compound that is used to treat insomnia .
However, researchers have different interpretations of neurotransmitter function. In the study also revealed that for several decades has been linked to dopamine with the consumption of various drugs of abuse.
7- Prevent cataracts
It turns out that beer in moderation can reduce the risk of cataracts by as much as 50 percent according to a study Presented at the International Congress of Societies of Chemistry Pacific Basin.
Beers, particularly black beers, contain high levels of antioxidant chemicals and these protect mitochondria against cataracts.
Researchers think it may be one of the factors contributing to the lower risk of this condition in people who drink a beer a day.
8- Reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease
The team at Chicago's Loyola University School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 365,000 people who took part in 143 studies that have been conducted since 1977.
They concluded that moderate drinkers (one to two beers a day) were 23 percent less likely to develop dementia , Alzheimer disease And other forms of cognitive impairment.
The researchers said it is unclear why moderate consumption may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, but a premise suggests that alcohol can improve blood flow in brain And therefore its metabolism.
Another theory suggests that small amounts of alcohol can make Brain cells Are in better shape and increase their ability to cope with high levels of stress that over time can cause dementia.
On the other hand, the researchers warned that they could corroborate that high consumption (more than three alcoholic drinks a day) was associated with an increased risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.
9- Reduce the risk of hypertension in men
A study Conducted to more than 11 thousand men with hypertension concluded that moderate consumption of alcohol (two beers a day) decreases the risk of suffering this condition.
On the contrary, those men who took more than recommended, increased their risk.
10- Prevent the common cold
The Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University he found That while susceptibility to common flu was increased by smoking, moderate alcohol consumption led to a decrease in common cold cases for nonsmokers. This study was carried out in 1993 with 391 adults.
11- It has high fiber content
Beer contains fiber, which acts as a natural laxative. It also slows down the speed at which food comes out of the stomach, which means it suppresses the appetite.
In this article You can know foods high in fiber.
12- It helps us to"break the ice"
According to a University of Washington study, drinking a beer also has social benefits because it can give us a bit of value for a first date, or"loosen up"at a family reunion or social event.
However, some people continue to drink because they think that if one is good, many will be even better, but we all know how these stories can end.
13- It has properties"anti-aging"
Beer increases the potency and effects of vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant in the body, so it can slow down the aging process.
On the contrary, alcohol abuse will make us age faster.
14- Aid to the digestive system
Beer possesses a number of digestive properties, which include stimulation of gastrin, gastric acid, cholecystokinin and pancreatic enzymes. You only need one a day.
15- It works as a diuretic
Drinking a beer helps as diuretic And significantly increases urination. This facilitates increased removal of toxins and waste material from the body.
Seeking the break-even point
- Current US Department of Agriculture guidelines consider that moderate consumption for men is a maximum of two drinks per day and for women only one. One drink is 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80 degree distilled spirits.
- If you do not drink, there is no need to start, since you can get similar benefits with exercise and / or a healthier diet.
- If you are a man and you have no history of alcoholism , But a moderate to high risk of heart disease, you can consult your doctor if an alcoholic drink a day could reduce that risk.
- If you are a woman with no history of alcoholism but at risk of heart disease, you could evaluate the possible benefits of a daily drink versus the small increase in the risk of breast cancer.
- If you already drink alcohol you should know that the secret is in moderation and make sure you also get plenty of folic acid , At least 600 micrograms per day.
- For a 60-year-old man, one drink a day may offer protection against heart disease, but for a 30-year-old man it may pose more risk of falling into excess or other complications.
If we all limited ourselves to a single glass or cup a day, we probably would not need so many cardiologists, liver specialists, mental health professionals and addiction treatments.
The concern for these scientists will always be that not everyone who likes to drink alcohol stops in a single drink.
5 Curiosities about beer
- The oldest beer brand is Bass, registered in 1876.
- The oldest known beer recipe dates back more than 4,000 years. It is found on a clay tablet dating back to 3100-3000 BC in Mesopotamia.
- In ancient Egypt, beer was traditionally made by women, but as the economy moved from agriculture to industry, beer became commercial and began to be manufactured and sold mainly by and for men.
- At some point the beer was taken hot, providing warmth on cold nights and nourishment when food was scarce.
- In the Czech Republic there is a spa that offers a 20 minute bath in beer and claim that bathe in beer increases blood circulation, opens pores, softens the skin and infuses the body with vitamins.
What other benefits of beer do you know?