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10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer - Health - Nairaland

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10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by jidewin(m): 11:14pm On Jan 15, 2012
Ah ? you would say.So was i when i saw the topic on yahoo, i began to wonder could this be the type of Gulder (the Ultimate himself) or STAR lager (shine shine bobo) we dey shack in Naija the writer was refering to?.Well read on sha, but e be like say e get as e be sha.

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Beer
By Lisa Collier Cool

Beer drinkers rejoice: Your favorite brew may be healthier than you think.

For years, wine drinkers have indulged without guilt, reveling in the news that red wine can help protect against heart disease. Recent research shows that beer can also be good for what ails you, from reducing risk for broken bones to helping warding off diabetes and mental decline. It can even increase longevity, a large study suggests.

However, the key to tapping into beer’s benefits is moderation, meaning just one 12-ounce beer per day for women and two for men. Heavy drinking ups the threat of liver damage, some cancers, and heart problems. Bingeing on brewskis can also make you fat, since a 12-ounce regular beer has about 150 calories, while light beer has about 100.

Read about common diet myths that are dangerous to your health

Here are 10 surprising—and healthy—reasons to cheer about your next beer.
1. Stronger Bones

Beer contains high levels of silicon, which is linked to bone health. In a 2009 study at Tufts University and other centers, older men and women who swigged one or two drinks daily had higher bone density, with the greatest benefits found in those who favored beer or wine. However, downing more than two drinks was linked to increased risk for fractures.

For the best bone-building benefits, reach for pale ale, since a 2010 study of 100 types of beer from around the word identified these brews as richest in silicon, while light lagers and non-alcoholic beers contained the least.
2. A Stronger Heart

A 2011 analysis of 16 earlier studies involving more than 200,000 people, conducted by researchers at Italy’s Fondazion di Ricerca e Cura, found a 31 percent reduced risk of heart disease in those who quaffed about a pint of beer daily, while risk surged in those who guzzled higher amounts of alcohol, whether beer, wine, or spirits.

More than 100 studies also show that moderate drinking trims risk of heart attacks and dying from cardiovascular disease by 25 to 40 percent, Harvard reports. A beer or two a day can help raise levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol that helps keep arteries from getting clogged.

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3. Healthier Kidneys

A study in Finland singled out beer among other alcoholic drinks, finding that each bottle of beer men drank daily lowered their risk of developing kidney stones by 40 percent. One theory is that beer’s high water content helped keep kidneys working, since dehydration increases kidney stone risk.

It’s also possible that the hops in beer help curb leeching of calcium from bones; that “lost” calcium also could end up in the kidneys as stones.
4. Boosting Brain Health

A beer a day may help keep Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia at bay, researchers say.

A 2005 study tracking 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 downed a drink a day scored as about 18 months “younger,” on average, on tests of mental skills than the non-drinkers.

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5. Reduced Cancer Risk

A Portuguese study found that marinating steak in beer eliminates almost 70 percent of the carcinogens, called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced when the meat is pan-fried. Researchers theorize that beer’s sugars help block HCAs from forming.

Scientists also have found that beer and wine contain about the same levels of antioxidants, but the antioxidants are different because the flavonoids found in hops and grapes are different.
6. Boosting Vitamin Levels

A Dutch study, performed at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, found that beer-drinking participants had 30 percent higher levels of vitamin B6 levels in their blood than their non-drinking counterparts, and twice as much as wine drinkers. Beer also contains vitamin B12 and folic acid.
7. Guarding Against Stroke

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that moderate amounts of alcohol, including beer, help prevent blood clots that block blood flow to the heart, neck and brain—the clots that cause ischemic stroke, the most common type.
8. Reduced Risk for Diabetes

Drink up: A 2011 Harvard study of about 38,000 middle-aged men found that when those who only drank occasionally raised their alcohol intake to one to two beers or other drinks daily, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes dropped by 25 percent. The researchers found no benefit to quaffing more than two drinks. The researchers found that alcohol increases insulin sensitivity, thus helping protect against diabetes.
9. Lower Blood Pressure

Wine is fine for your heart, but beer may be even better: A Harvard study of 70,000 women ages 25 to 40 found that moderate beer drinkers were less likely to develop high blood pressure—a major risk factor for heart attack—than women who sipped wine or spirits.
10. Longer Life

In a 2005 review of 50 studies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that moderate drinkers live longer. The USDA also estimates that moderate drinking prevents about 26,000 deaths a year, due to lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

These benefits appear to apply in other countries as well, with an earlier study reporting that, “if European beer drinkers stopped imbibing, there would be a decrease in life expectancy of two years—and much unhappiness.”

Follow this plan to be happy and live longer
undecided shocked grin
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by moshoodn(m): 5:45am On Jan 16, 2012
I beg to disagree!
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by jidewin(m): 8:20am On Jan 16, 2012
So was I bro,but with a lot of pointers here,I began to wonder where all the idea on Non alcoholic fatty liver disease came from.
I wasn't a beer lover except occasionally in the midst of "boys" and my max then was 2 bottles. anything beyond that,I would be in trouble.
But the write seem to have a way of reminding me "those sparklin golden bubbles,cold filtered" is good for ones health", hey don't tell my pastor o. grin grin
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by highland(m): 2:17pm On Jan 16, 2012
I know Beer, an alcoholic drink can't do anyone any good.
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by ibietela2(m): 1:19am On Jan 17, 2012
thanks for this wonderful post
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by dollya(f): 3:13am On Jan 17, 2012
liar, lair, lair undecided
beer is bad for ur health. lipsrsealed
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by jidewin(m): 8:24am On Jan 17, 2012
dolly a:

liar, lair, lair undecided
beer is bad for your health. lipsrsealed
Hey.u got proofs?
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by gaddafe(m): 3:36am On Jan 18, 2012
dolly a:

liar, lair, lair undecided
beer is bad for your health. lipsrsealed

And who told you that? Anything you indulge in excessively is bad for your health even the so called soft drinks.
Beer is ok so long as you drink moderately.
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by briensmith: 1:36pm On Jan 18, 2012
i really like this post
its really interesting in this whole forum

cheers grin



huggies
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by agiboma(f): 7:46pm On Jan 18, 2012
Beer especially dark beer has also been proven to increase breast milk production in lactating women
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by jidewin(m): 11:30pm On Jan 20, 2012
agiboma:

Beer especially dark beer has also been proven to increase bosom milk production in lactating women
WOW!!! Read that with my mouth forming a small "O".But won't d baby been weaned become "shine shine baby"?
Re: 10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Beer by jameswills32: 10:14am On Aug 18, 2014
Hi. I was searching for green drink and directed to your forum. Do you also use green drinks? What supplement do you use?

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