Circulatory Shock, types and stages, compensatory mechanisms
5 health benefits of drinking beer
1. St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. If you are still eating
healthy from your New Year’s resolution this year, you might be
glad to find that drinking beer has many surprising health
benefits. So, go ahead and enjoy that green beer, because it
might just be doing you some good! Remember, though, to
always drink in moderation, and be sure to get a designated
driver to get home safely.
2. REDUCES RISK OF HEART DISEASE
All alcohol, whether it is beer, wine, or liquor, is known to help reduce heart disease.
According to a 2008 article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, moderate
consumption of alcohol makes blood less sticky, and so it is less likely to clot. Alcohol can
also increase good cholesterol and lower the bad, as well as lower your blood pressure. A
Harvard study of 70,000 women found that those who consumed beer had a lower blood
pressure than those who consumed wine or hard alcohol.
3. HELPS THE KIDNEYS
Alcohol gets a bad wrap for being hard on your kidneys, but beer can actually help in that
department. According to the 2011 ADA Times, beer can actually reduce your risk of kidney
stones. The hops not only help slow the release of calcium from the bones — too much
calcium can cause kidney stones — but beer also has a high water content, which helps clear
out those kidneys.
4. PACKED WITH NUTRITION
Beer is a surprising source of many nutrients. One
12-ounce beer has around one gram of fiber. It is
also packed with B vitamins like niacin, pantothenic
acid, folate, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and B12. It
is also rich in silicon, a nutrient that is said to help
strengthen bones
5. REDUCES RISK OF DIABETES
In 2011, Harvard did a study of 38,000 middle-aged
men which showed that, when they upped their intake
of beer to two a day, they dropped their risk of
developing type 2 diabetes by 25 percent. There
was, however, no noted benefit from drinking more
than two beers a day.
6. INCREASES BRAIN HEALTH
Researchers think that a few beers a day can also
stave off Alzheimer’s and can reduce your risk of
stroke. In 2005, a study was done of 11,000 older
women, and those who had one beer a day had
better mental function than those who didn’t. In fact,
they decreased their risk of mental decline by as
much as 20 percent. The Harvard School of Public
Health also did a study that showed that a few beers
a day might reduce the risk of stroke by thinning the
blood and preventing blood clots from traveling to
the brain.
