Overview
Beer has often been regarded as one of beverages associated with a number of health problems whilst there is little-known health benefits associated with moderate beer intake. According to research, alcohol intake in moderation is goof for health. Today, we are going to highlight some of the known health benefits of beer. Beer varies depending on the amount of alcohol, the manufacturer and brands but one thing that is common among all beer brands is the key ingredient. Beer active ingredient is alcohol and has been found to have various health effects like lowered risk of heart disease, decreased risk of stroke among other health benefits. Nonetheless, overconsumption of beer has been known to cause addition and too much alcohol is known to cause liver cirrhosis.
History of Beer Health Benefits
Beer has previously been recommended by health practitioners, but some regulations came to prohibit the recommendation of beer by health practitioners. To cite an example; years of study has shown that Guinness beer has health benefits related to heart health. There are antioxidants found in this beer that are similar to the antioxidants found in vegetables and fruits. Previously there was advertisement that this beer is good for your health. As a matter of fact this beer is also used as a culinary ingredient.
Health Benefits of Beer
It’s important to understand that the health benefits of beer are derived from the alcohol found in the beer and some other ingredients like the brewer’s yeast which is rich in nutrients. The following are some of the health benefits of beer:
- Good Source of Antioxidants
As mentioned above beer provides the required antioxidants to the body. Beer made from roosted barley contains antioxidants that are useful for fighting free radicals. Free radicals have previously been associated with high incidences of cancer.
- Rich in Mineral Salts and Vitamin B from Brewer’s Yeast
Brewing involves use of brewer’s yeast that has been documented to contain a wide range of important mineral salts that include; magnesium, selenium, biotin, potassium, chromium as well as vitamin B. Although there are different arguments that beer tends to lose these mineral salts after filtering, there is no conclusive research that has supported this notion.
- Potent Cancer Prevention
According to recent research in Japan in the year 2005, beer has a great potential of fighting cancer. This effect was observed in the low alcohol beer.
- Stress Relief
Effects of alcohol consumed in moderation can also be a temporary stress reliever which may help reduce the risks of hypertension and high blood pressure. So hoist up that beer mug and have a drink, but limit it to 1 or 2 glasses at the most.
- Cardiac Health Improvement
The fact that a small amount of alcohol improves your cardiac health cannot be overemphasized. In fact moderate beer intake has been found to reduce the occurrence of stroke and cardiac diseases. According to researchers beer significantly reduces the occurrence of heart diseases and improves heart health. It has been argued that beer intake reduces occurrence of heart disease with about 40-60%.
- Rich in Fiber
Another research on fiber content suggests that dark beer contain about 1 gram of soluble diet fiber per glass. Fiber is important for aiding in digestion and preventing conditions related to indigestion like constipation.
- Prevention of Alzheimer Disease
The intake of moderate amount of low sugar alcohol has been hailed for prevention against Alzheimer’s disease.
These are some of the documented health benefits of beer as more research is on going on the benefits of beer. It therefore seems good for health to take some moderate amount of beer but too much of alcohol can lead to addiction and further consequences like liver cirrhosis.
Image Credit: Princeton University
