Health Benefits of Beer

[Ben Hein]

The Boons of Beer
Appreciation brewing for lagers and the like in clinical laboratories.

By EatingWell, EatingWell.com
Wine snags a lot of credit for its heart-healthy effects; truth is, moderate consumption of beer provides the same benefits.

Research suggests that it's the alcohol itself that lowers cardiovascular risk (by reducing inflammation, "thinning" the blood and improving insulin sensitivity). Here are six more reasons to cheer for beer!

Scientists at the Research Institute of Brewing and Malting in Prague announced that they've created a new non-alcoholic beer that may reduce hot flashes in menopausal women. It's long been known hops naturally contain low levels of the same plant estrogens found in soy; the Czech researchers used new technology to boost the concentration (to ten times that of some lagers).

Researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis have reported that xanthohumol, an antioxidant in hops, may thwart the growth of prostate cancer by triggering the rampant cells to self-destruct. Unfortunately, the dose used in the study equals 17 beers (please don't try that at home). Upshot: The findings may lead to the development of a hops-derived pharmaceutical treatment.

An Austrian study published earlier this year suggests that antioxidants in hops, called humulones, may help to soothe chronic inflammation that is the result of an immune system in overdrive. In recent years, scientists have linked inflammation with a variety of chronic ills, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's and arthritis.

Dark-colored beers don't contain more antioxidants than light-colored brews. A deeper hue just means that the malt (sugars extracted from the grain) has been roasted longer.

In a Tufts University study of 2,900 men and women, people who drank a beer or two a day had higher bone-mineral densities than nondrinkers. Scientists say silicon, a mineral in beer that promotes healthy bones, may be to thank.

Twenty percent of people in a University of California, Davis, study said they knew that beer, like wine, contains antioxidants. It's true. Beer also contains some B vitamins, and certain varieties even have a bit of soluble fiber, which has been linked with reduced cholesterol.