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Photo Credit: Adam Fagen[/caption]Beer is known to contain anticancer properties, be good for your bones [density], help reduce the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases, give a nice boost to our digestive systems, make us stay younger longer (anti-aging properties), and help us maintain our sanity by preventing dementia and coronary disease! Beer is also known to help counter effects of diabetes, gallstones, kidney stones and osteoporosis, and hypertension. So what's with all the kale and organic pine nuts, huh?! We should all just down some brewskies and call it a day! These health benefits come, of course, with the understanding that the quantity we are consuming is moderate. Too much of anything is not good for you... even kale.
So, let’s look at a few of these health benefits more closely. Then YOU can defend your beer drinking habits, by reciting some of these health benefits of beer.
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Photo Credit: Jeramey Jannene[/caption]Nutritionally speaking, Beer, which is generally perferred in North America and Europe, has greater protein and vitamin B content than wine, while the antioxidant content is equivalent. Hops, a central component in beer brewing, is a rich source of flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants. Beer constitutes a reliable source of some minerals which play important roles in some metabolic processes.
Drinking beer in moderation has been shown to strengthen bones (by increasing bone density), which helps prevent the risk of fractures and osteoporosis. Beer is also a good source of vitamin B12 and folic acid. A deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid can lead to anaemia, which is something most people do NOT want (so go grab a brew!). Vitamin B12 is also known to be essential for maintaining normal growth, good memory and concentration. Vitamin B6, also knwon to be found in beer, protects against heart disease by preventing the build-up of homocysteine compounds. Beer has a thinning effect on blood and prevents the formation of unhealthy blood clots, which can dangerously block vital coronary arteries.
Xanthohumol, A flavonoid compound found in hops, is known to contain chemopreventive properties which help take cancer head on! Additionally, beer drinking increases the potency of vitamin E in our bodies. Vitamin E is a major antioxidant and, apart from being vital in maintenance of healthy skin, it slows down the aging process! Some studies even linked moderate beer consumption to lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Beer also acts as a diuretic, promoting increased urination and facilitating removal of toxic and other waste materials out of the body at a higher rate. It's like beer is the long-awaited fountain of youth! Are you drinking yet?
So, there you go! Go have a toast to a long life in good health, and have a beer!