About a month ago, we gave you an irresistibly good reason to crack open a cold one and let your liver thank you.
New, hearty research has just emerged, revealing that a pint of beer a day could also reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
For years, beer has gotten a bad rap for being a bloated belly builder and all round toxin for our bodies, but maybe Homer Simpson was the modern day health guru, and we just didn’t know it yet.
In a study of 80,000 lucky participants, conducted by Pennsylvania State University, results showed a natural decline of “good” cholesterol in the body in correspondence to moderate alcohol intake.
It’s here that we should probably emphasise the word moderate. That means one beer a day for women, and two for men. And no, that doesn’t mean you can save up your 14 schooners for Friday night. Sorry to say, it doesn’t work that way.
While this outcome applied for both beer and spirits, researchers maintain that the understated Tinny had the most accelerated effects.
It may be too early to start categorising beer with the acais, quinoas and other superfoods of today, but the findings of Penn State and other international studies support the claim that beer does protect you from a range of illnesses.
“We don’t know yet if there are ‘magic’ ingredients or compounds in beer. But beer does contain a complex of nutrients that may possibly play some role in helping avert atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)” says Andrea Giancoli, registered dietitian and beer enthusiast.
Beer contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, potassium and many other heart healthy vitamins. Also, the darker the brew, the more fiber it has.
Some recommendations of beverages which pack the most health perks include Guinness Draught, Sierra Nevada Pale Al, Samuel Adams Lager and DZ Deathrays’ Pils N’ Thrills.
