The benefits of beer for health are multiple: 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 that I will explain below.
Although these properties are numerous, they are relatively little known due to the fear present in the medical community about possible excessive consumption. On the other hand, it is important to bear in mind that these benefits are given with moderate consumption.
Beer is any alcoholic beverage made by fermenting grain, just like wine is any alcoholic beverage made by fermenting fruit. In the vast majority of beers in the world, the grain base is barley.
The production of beer is called fermentation, which involves the fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from cereal grain starches, most commonly from malted barley, although wheat, corn, 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 beverages in the world, possibly dating back to the early Neolithic or 9500 BC, when 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 instrument 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 as both nutrition and refreshment..
A research team from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania found that dark beer and dark beers in general can reduce the incidence of heart attacks.
There are also case studies that have shown a relationship between moderate alcohol consumption (especially beer or wine) with a decrease in cardiovascular events and mortality..
However, these studies highlight excess alcohol as clearly harmful to the cardiovascular system, so that more than three beers a day are no longer beneficial.
It appears that middle-aged men who drink two beers a day can lower their risk of type 2 diabetes, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
The study published in 2011 by the American Diabetes Association magazine, examined the data of 38 thousand middle-aged American men during a period of 20 years (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 (decreasing or increasing it) also affect the risk of type 2 diabetes.
They indicated that its purpose is not to encourage the practice of its consumption without medical supervision, but to publish studies that can give us all an idea about the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.
A study suggests that the risk of developing kidney stones decreases with increasing beer consumption.
Finnish researchers, led by Dr. Tero Hirvonen of the Helsinki National Institute of Public Health, studied 27,000 middle-aged men and concluded that one bottle of beer per day reduces the risk by 40 percent..
The study authors observed that both the water and alcohol found in beer increase the flow of urine and dilute it, reducing the risk of stone formation..
In addition, they assured that alcohol can also increase the excretion of calcium, which is the main cause of kidney stones.
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 appears that people who drink moderate amounts of beer can reduce their risk of stroke by 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 you drink beer, your arteries become more flexible and blood flow improves significantly. As a result, there is no blood clot formation, and the risk of having a stroke is lower..
As in other cases, they also found that a totally adverse effect occurs when alcohol is abused.
Researchers at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at 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 learn about the health benefits of red wine.
Previous research suggests that moderate alcohol consumption in postmenopausal men and women may protect against loss of bone mineral density, which is a major risk factor for osteoporosis, according to Katherine Tucker of the 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..
According to research conducted at the Indiana University School of Medicine, drinking a tiny 15-milliliter serving of beer (the equivalent of a tablespoon) stimulates the brain to produce dopamine, a chemical compound that is used to treat insomnia.
However, researchers have different interpretations of the neurotransmitter's function. The study also revealed that for several decades dopamine has been linked to the use of various drugs of abuse.
It turns out that beer in moderation can reduce the risk of cataracts by up to 50 percent according to a study presented at the International Congress of Pacific Rim Chemical Societies..
Beers, particularly stout, contain high levels of antioxidant chemicals and these protect the mitochondria against cataracts.
Researchers think it may be one of the factors that contribute to the lower risk of this condition in people who drink a beer a day.
The team from the Loyola University School of Medicine in Chicago analyzed the data of more than 365,000 people who took part in 143 studies that have been carried out since 1977.
They concluded that moderate drinkers (one to two beers a day) were 23 percent less likely to develop dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other forms of cognitive decline..
The researchers said that it is not clear why moderate consumption can reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline, but a premise suggests that alcohol can improve blood flow in the brain and therefore its metabolism..
Another theory suggests that small amounts of alcohol can make brain cells fitter and increase their ability to cope with high levels of stress that can cause dementia over time..
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.
A study carried out on more than 11 thousand men with hypertension concluded that moderate alcohol consumption (two beers a day) reduces the risk of suffering from this condition.
On the contrary, those men who took more than recommended, increased their risk.
The Carnegie Mellon University Department of Psychology found that while susceptibility to the common flu was increased by smoking, moderate alcohol consumption led to a decrease in cases of the common cold for nonsmokers. This study was carried out in 1993 with 391 adults.
Beer contains fiber, which acts as a natural laxative. It also slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach, which means it suppresses your appetite..
In this article you can learn about foods rich in fiber.
According to a study by the University of Washington, having a beer also has social benefits since it can give us a little value for a first date, or “loosen up” at a family gathering 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..
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.
Beer possesses a number of digestive properties, including stimulation of gastrin, gastric acid, cholecystokinin, and pancreatic enzymes. It only takes one a day.
Drinking a beer helps as a diuretic and significantly increases urination. This facilitates increased elimination of toxins and waste material from the body..
If we all limited ourselves to just one glass or cup a day, we probably wouldn't need as 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 one drink..
What other benefits of beer do you know?
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