Beer & Health

As a LOVER of beer (we have two beers on tap at our house), the issue of beer and health is an important one. And when my sister-in-law, Angela, said "I'd love to follow a low-carb diet, but I like beer too much." I immediately thought - why not beer?

In the low-carb diet world, beer has stigma of being "high in carbs". I'm really not sure why - unless you are the type to drink a 6 pack a night. Let's do the math... The average can/bottle of beer has 150 calories and 12 grams of carbohyrade. (Light beer - 100 calories / 6 grams carb) Sounds indulgent? Not really...a half-cup of green beans has 14 grams of carbs, a slice of bread - 36 grams! Omit one large slice of bread from your diet and viola - you can now more than justify a couple beers! Furthermore, alcohol metabolism is similar to that of fat. Beware though, your body can only metabolize so much at a time - that is why its dangerous to drink too much. Potent carcinogens float around un-metabolized and can do damage to your liver and pancreas.

There is a lot of research out there supporting moderate beer (or wine) drinking for overall health - especially heart health and preventing certain types of cancer. Of course more than 15 drinks a week is NOT healthy! But having up to 2 drinks a day can actually increase your longevity compared to those that have little or no drinks. I was surprised at that data. Just goes to show how the media can warp our health perceptions. Seems to me that we live in a culture where it's okay to take prescription drugs for anxiety, relaxation, high blood pressure, etc. Perhaps we all just need to have a drink or two instead!

"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."

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/6-health-benefits-of-drinking-beer.html#ixzz2ZLaohLfr

Research aside - I always like to consider common sense. Beer and wine have been around since the beginning of time. In fact, back in the old days, water was unsafe to drink. Fermenting it into beer made it safe to drink. Data shows that overall alcohol consumption is down in the USA since its high back in the 1960's and 70's. Are we healthier now than back then? I don't think so... When I was a kid, I can remember all my relatives imbibing on a few drinks at every get together. My sweet old grandfather loved Manhattan's and would have one before dinner almost everytime I saw him. He lived well into his late 80's with only a few health issues toward the end of life.

Cheers!