Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,193,943 members, 7,952,804 topics. Date: Thursday, 19 September 2024 at 02:11 AM

Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer!!! *MUST READ* - Health - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Health / Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer!!! *MUST READ* (758 Views)

10 Amazing Health Benefits Of Taking Beer [must Read] / 10 Surprising Facts About Breasts You May Have Missed / 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer (2) (3) (4)

(1) (Reply)

Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer!!! *MUST READ* by Joskiro50: 7:49pm On Dec 12, 2014
This could be really good news if you are a beer drinker, but before you get too excited about that next drink and order a keg, remember that alcohol is a double-edged sword - with moderation and responsibility being the key to a healthy balance. Here are some health benefits you may enjoy.
1. Increased intake of protein, B vitamins and antioxidants
From a nutritional standpoint, beer contains more protein and B vitamins than wine.

According to a 2001 antioxidant food review in Nutrition Reviews beer contains around double the amount of antioxidants as white wine but half of that of red wine. The specific antioxidants in beer are different because the barley and hops used in the production of beer contain flavonoids different from those in the grapes used in the production of wine.  
2. Healthier bowel function
Beer is a good source of soluble fibre, which is derived from the cell walls of malted barley. One litre of beer can contain up to 6 grams of soluble fibre, which is a third of the recommended daily intake.

Soluble fibre aids in healthy bowel function, and also helps mop up excess cholesterol and sugar in the digestive system. A 230ml can of beer will contain about 5.7g of total carbohydrates. Of those, just 2.5g will be residual sugar and the rest dietary fibre. In comparison, a standard (175 ml) glass of wine contains 5.9g of carbohydrate but 5.6g of that will be free sugars and wine has no dietary fibre.
3. Reduced Risk of Heart Disease
The topic of heart disease and alcohol is controversial because it can be both a protective and a causal factor, explains Caradas. It really depends on the mechanism of action and what the individual is going to benefit from most- either moderation or abstinence. It has long been known that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of heart disease, when compared to heavy drinkers and even teetotalers.
The main mechanisms by which beer lowers heart disease risk is by increasing our levels of HDL, or good cholesterol and by preventing clotting (by lowering clotting factors like fibrinogen) and therefore thinning the blood. However, people with high triglycerides or hypertension are still encouraged to exercise caution when drinking alcohol, which exacerbates these two risk factors for coronary artery disease, explains Caradas.
Take this test: Is your diet heart-healthy?

4. Stronger Bones
Beer is high in the mineral silicon, which can act as a powerful bone strengthener. In fact, beer is the only natural source of silica for post –menopausal women. According to a 2009 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, moderate beer drinkers had a higher bone mineral density when compared to people who drank more or fewer beers. Pale Ale tends to have the highest silica content of all the beer types. “Don’t use beer as your anti-osteoporosis plan. High intakes of calcium, lots of vegetables and weight bearing exercise are key to a healthy bone density,” advises Caradas.

5. Reduced Cancer Risk
Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are carcinogenic compounds produced when meat is cooked at high temperatures. Marinating meat or chicken in beer or wine has been shown to reduce the formation of carcinogenic HCA’s by up to 88% with beer to be the more effective HCA reducing marinade according to a 2009 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. At the same time, high alcohol intake has been linked to certain cancers, like those of the mouth and digestive system as well as breast cancers.
6. Reduced Risk of Diabetes
“Contrary to what you might think, alcohol actually lowers blood sugar rather than raising it,” says Caradas. A large 2011 Harvard study of about 38,000 middle-aged men found that when those who drank moderately (around 2 drinks per day), dropped their diabetes risk by 25%. Beer, however, has a high glycemic index of 100, which means it can cause spikes and then drops in blood sugar levels. In moderation, however, the effect is not severe because beer has a moderate glycemic load of 6, due to its relatively low carbohydrate content.
7. Improved Cognition
“In high amounts alcohol can cause brain damage, but in moderation it can actually sharpen the mind and even prevent dementia,” says Caradas.

Results from the Nurses Health Study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, which looked at the health of 11,000 older women showed that moderate drinkers (those who consumed about one drink a day) lowered their risk of mental decline by as much as 20 percent, compared to non-drinkers. In addition, older women who drank moderately were found to benefit the most from moderate drinking.
Re: Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer!!! *MUST READ* by Joskiro50: 7:52pm On Dec 12, 2014
Re: Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer!!! *MUST READ* by meobizy(f): 2:09am On Jan 09, 2019
In 2018 all these findings were rendered nil not because they were false but because alcohol as a whole had more demerits than benefits.

(1) (Reply)

Recipes For joystick Enlargement / How The Polynesians Used Noni Fruit. / Can This Be True @picture

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 13
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.