Health benefits of wine have been well documented over the years. Unlike their counter part, the health benefits from beer have barely been examined mainly because it was associated with unhealthy habits such as smoking and binge drinking. Recently, that tune has changed primarily due to the popularity in craft beer.

Research this past decade has shed a new light about the effects of beer on your health. Moderate amounts of beer, 1-2 per day, have been proven to be good for your heart, brain, kidneys, bones, and cancer. The research is summarized below:

Heart

"Alcohol raises levels of ‘good' HDL cholesterol. It also has anti-clotting effects, which keeps blood vessels clear and healthy," says Arthur Klatsky, MD. Researchers found that one to two beers a day reduces fibrinogen levels, a protein that helps promote clotting.

Brain

One classic New England Journal of Medicine study, which analyzed the drinking habits of about 11,000 women over more than 15 years, found that those who had up to one drink a day had a 20 percent lower risk of brain function decline (as measured by memory and other cognition tests) than nondrinkers. Alcohol intake may protect blood vessels in the brain and also lower stroke risk.

Kidneys

Finnish researchers found that men who drank beer had a 40 percent lower risk of kidney stones to those who drank other types of alcohol. The benefit may be due to beer's high water content. It is believed, not proven, that beer's hops may also help prevent kidney stones by slowing the release of calcium from bones.

Bones

Beer is a major source of silicon intake in the US leading to denser bone minerals. “Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid (OSA), which yields 50% bioavailability, making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the Western diet” "Silicon helps stimulate bone-building cells, and the estrogenic effect of alcohol also has a protective quality for bones," says study author Katherine Tucker, PhD, professor of nutritional epidemiology at Northeastern University in Boston. Which brew boasts the most silicon? Try an India Pale Ale. A 2010 University of California Davis study found that IPAs had the highest levels of the mineral.

Cancer
A Portuguese study revealed that marinating meat in beer can eliminate 88% of carcinogens cause by frying. Researchers believe that sugars in beer help prevent formation of cancer-causing compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Other research in the US believes some compounds in beer may prevent colon or prostrate cancer (the study results are not available).

This gives a new meaning to “Drink to your health.” I for one enjoy reading something positive about beer because for years I’ve heard how bad beer was for you…not any more.

Cheers!

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