RAISE A GLASS TO BEER
Beer drinkers tend to get the short end of the stick. While wine
connoisseurs are thought of as chic and sophisticated, beer drinkers
are routinely portrayed as slothful, pot-bellied creatures planted in
front of TVs. In one memorable news exposé several summers ago, beer
drinkers on working-class Rockaway Beach in New York City were
arrested (no open containers please), while the mayor sat comfortably
ensconced among wine sippers at a philharmonic orchestra concert in
Central Park.
But now there's good news for beer drinkers -- it turns out that by
and large alcohol is alcohol, and socioeconomic stereotypes aside,
the health benefits of beer are not all that different from the
benefits of wine. Of course the key word here is moderation -- most
experts advise no more than two alcoholic beverages a day for men and
no more than one for women. So what's so good about beer?
HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH
An increasing body of serious research backs up beer's benefits...
* Bone protection. According to a medical team at Tufts University in
Boston, beer may help prevent bone-thinning osteoporosis. Dietary
silicon in grain products such as beer appears to reduce bone loss
and promote bone formation. Beer contains silicate, a highly
absorbable form of silicon that works by facilitating the deposit of
calcium and other minerals in bone tissue. Margo A. Denke, MD,
clinical professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health
Science Center, cautions that excessive alcohol intake is a risk
factor for bad bones, perhaps because calories from nutrient sources
are replaced with calories from alcohol.
* Lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Like wine, beer has
well-documented heart-healthy benefits. Regular moderate drinking has
a protective effect in both men and women against cardiovascular
disease, confirms Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPH, chair of the department
of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. He told me
that moderate alcohol consumption in any form has an equivalent
benefit -- "Wine is not better than beer, red wine is not better than
white and spirits in moderation are also associated with lower risk."
* Better heart attack survival. A study at Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center in Boston noted that moderate drinkers (who consumed
more than seven alcoholic beverages a week) had a 32% lower risk of
dying from a heart attack than those who drank no alcohol. Light
drinkers (less than seven drinks weekly) had a 21% lower risk. Like
other alcohol, beer acts as a blood thinner to help prevent clogged
arteries. Other research links moderate alcohol consumption with
improved blood circulation in the brain and lower risk for stroke.
* Improved cholesterol levels. In her research, Dr. Denke discovered
that people who consumed one to three drinks daily had higher levels
of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. She also found that regular moderate
intake of alcohol resulted in lower blood insulin levels. In a related
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) study, women who drank one
alcoholic beverage daily lowered their LDL ("bad") cholesterol and
levels of harmful blood lipids known as triglycerides.
* Sharper brains. In the long-term Nurses' Health Study, Dr. Stampfer
and his colleagues found that moderate consumption of alcohol seemed
to preserve the mental abilities of older women. From 1995 to 1999,
more than 9,000 women between ages 70 and 79 were interviewed
regarding their alcohol use, and seven different tests of mental
function were administered. Moderate drinkers scored better on five
of seven tests, and on total overall scores.
* Healthier kidneys. At Harvard Medical School, Tobias Kurth, MD,
ScD, assistant professor of medicine, and his colleagues examined
data from 11,023 men enrolled in the long-term Physicians' Health
Study. Over a period of 14 years, the participants reported their
alcohol consumption and underwent regular physical exams and blood
tests. Researchers found that men who consumed seven or more drinks a
week experienced a 29% lower risk of developing kidney problems.
(Read more about this study in Daily Health News, January 17, 2006.)
http://link.dhn.bottomlinesecrets.com/a/5IL/MG5/6C/KFR03
* Antioxidant effect. Japanese scientists have found that
antioxidants such as polyphenols in beer may offer protection against
cancer-causing chemicals. This echoes earlier research conducted in
Portugal, which suggested that antioxidants slow the proliferation of
breast cancer cells. According to Dr. Denke, isoflavonoids in beer
are phytoestrogens that mimic the activity of the natural human
hormone estrogen. In laboratory experiments, isoflavonoids have also
been shown to inhibit the growth of breast, prostate and colon
cancers.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
Promising as all this research appears, talking about alcohol always
requires special caution. It's all too easy to slip over the line
from healthful consumption to overconsumption and physical damage,
warns Dr. Denke. Yes, regular moderate consumption can benefit the
heart, kidneys, bones and more... but by the same token, drinking too
much alcohol can seriously harm vital organs and processes in the
body. While we all think of beer as having more than its fair share
of calories, in fact it is not significantly higher than other forms
of alcohol. As always, moderation in all things is the best path to
follow.
Beer drinkers tend to get the short end of the stick. While wine
connoisseurs are thought of as chic and sophisticated, beer drinkers
are routinely portrayed as slothful, pot-bellied creatures planted in
front of TVs. In one memorable news exposé several summers ago, beer
drinkers on working-class Rockaway Beach in New York City were
arrested (no open containers please), while the mayor sat comfortably
ensconced among wine sippers at a philharmonic orchestra concert in
Central Park.
But now there's good news for beer drinkers -- it turns out that by
and large alcohol is alcohol, and socioeconomic stereotypes aside,
the health benefits of beer are not all that different from the
benefits of wine. Of course the key word here is moderation -- most
experts advise no more than two alcoholic beverages a day for men and
no more than one for women. So what's so good about beer?
HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH
An increasing body of serious research backs up beer's benefits...
* Bone protection. According to a medical team at Tufts University in
Boston, beer may help prevent bone-thinning osteoporosis. Dietary
silicon in grain products such as beer appears to reduce bone loss
and promote bone formation. Beer contains silicate, a highly
absorbable form of silicon that works by facilitating the deposit of
calcium and other minerals in bone tissue. Margo A. Denke, MD,
clinical professor of medicine at the University of Texas Health
Science Center, cautions that excessive alcohol intake is a risk
factor for bad bones, perhaps because calories from nutrient sources
are replaced with calories from alcohol.
* Lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Like wine, beer has
well-documented heart-healthy benefits. Regular moderate drinking has
a protective effect in both men and women against cardiovascular
disease, confirms Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPH, chair of the department
of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. He told me
that moderate alcohol consumption in any form has an equivalent
benefit -- "Wine is not better than beer, red wine is not better than
white and spirits in moderation are also associated with lower risk."
* Better heart attack survival. A study at Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center in Boston noted that moderate drinkers (who consumed
more than seven alcoholic beverages a week) had a 32% lower risk of
dying from a heart attack than those who drank no alcohol. Light
drinkers (less than seven drinks weekly) had a 21% lower risk. Like
other alcohol, beer acts as a blood thinner to help prevent clogged
arteries. Other research links moderate alcohol consumption with
improved blood circulation in the brain and lower risk for stroke.
* Improved cholesterol levels. In her research, Dr. Denke discovered
that people who consumed one to three drinks daily had higher levels
of HDL, the "good" cholesterol. She also found that regular moderate
intake of alcohol resulted in lower blood insulin levels. In a related
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) study, women who drank one
alcoholic beverage daily lowered their LDL ("bad") cholesterol and
levels of harmful blood lipids known as triglycerides.
* Sharper brains. In the long-term Nurses' Health Study, Dr. Stampfer
and his colleagues found that moderate consumption of alcohol seemed
to preserve the mental abilities of older women. From 1995 to 1999,
more than 9,000 women between ages 70 and 79 were interviewed
regarding their alcohol use, and seven different tests of mental
function were administered. Moderate drinkers scored better on five
of seven tests, and on total overall scores.
* Healthier kidneys. At Harvard Medical School, Tobias Kurth, MD,
ScD, assistant professor of medicine, and his colleagues examined
data from 11,023 men enrolled in the long-term Physicians' Health
Study. Over a period of 14 years, the participants reported their
alcohol consumption and underwent regular physical exams and blood
tests. Researchers found that men who consumed seven or more drinks a
week experienced a 29% lower risk of developing kidney problems.
(Read more about this study in Daily Health News, January 17, 2006.)
http://link.dhn.bottomlinesecrets.com/a/5IL/MG5/6C/KFR03
* Antioxidant effect. Japanese scientists have found that
antioxidants such as polyphenols in beer may offer protection against
cancer-causing chemicals. This echoes earlier research conducted in
Portugal, which suggested that antioxidants slow the proliferation of
breast cancer cells. According to Dr. Denke, isoflavonoids in beer
are phytoestrogens that mimic the activity of the natural human
hormone estrogen. In laboratory experiments, isoflavonoids have also
been shown to inhibit the growth of breast, prostate and colon
cancers.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
Promising as all this research appears, talking about alcohol always
requires special caution. It's all too easy to slip over the line
from healthful consumption to overconsumption and physical damage,
warns Dr. Denke. Yes, regular moderate consumption can benefit the
heart, kidneys, bones and more... but by the same token, drinking too
much alcohol can seriously harm vital organs and processes in the
body. While we all think of beer as having more than its fair share
of calories, in fact it is not significantly higher than other forms
of alcohol. As always, moderation in all things is the best path to
follow.
