Amazing Health Benefits of Drinking Beer

November 04, 2015

Don’t ever feel guilty about drinking a beer or two ever again. Contrary to the common view, beer has lots of health benefits that make it at least as healthy as wine when it’s consumed in small amounts. Moderate consumption can mean as much as three glasses a day, when paired with a healthy diet. It has only been perceived as unhealthy.

Beer contains a wealth of nutrients and vitamins. One of the most important nutrients is silicon, which is essential to bone health. Here are some remarkable and surprising beer benefits that might change your perception of the drink.

Fight off Infectious Diseases

If you have caught the cold or flu, beer can help you fight it. Take a bottle of beer and warm it gently in a saucepan. Once it’s warm, add two teaspoons of honey. A study in Spain found that when you have a temperature and are dehydrated, beer can re-hydrate you quicker.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University vaccinated chimps against smallpox. Afterwards, they let some of them drink beer. The chimps that had a beer or two had better responses to the vaccine. And they were a little bit tipsy.

Rich in B vitamins

Beer is full of B vitamins from the yeast. Unfiltered beer is especially high in B3, B6 and folic acid (B9). B3 aids in cell repair and B6 eases PMS. Folic acid aids in colon cancer prevention.

Bone Strength

As you get older, your bones can get weaker. Silicon is in beer which helps keep bones healthy and strong. A study at Tufts University showed that beer drinkers have a higher bone density and suffered fewer breaks. Beer is full of calcium which the body needs for bone health.

The silicon levels in beer are high, and that can mean stronger bones.

A recent study found that those who had one or two drinks per day had higher density than those who did not. On the flip side of this, individuals who drank more than two drinks were at risk for bone fractures. Pale ale is the best for building bones, as it has the highest levels of silicon.

It can reduce the risk of heart disease

Red wine is often touted as the healthiest alcohol choice, but a Kaiser Permanente study says not so fast. Incidences of heart disease for beer drinkers were lower than for wine or whiskey drinkers.

Beer drinkers have a lower risk of developing gallstones

Beer drinking is associated with a reduced risk for gallstones, according to the Mayo Clinic. Gallstones are made up of cholesterol, bile and other things that cause pain in the stomach. No one wants to deal with that.

Better Brain Health

The health of your brain can be increased by drinking just one beer per day. This information comes from a study done in 2005, which showed that those who drank moderately lowered their risk of mental decline by up to 20% when they were compared to those who did not drink. This can result in keeping dementia and even Alzheimer’s disease at bay.

High in fiber

Beer contains fiber, which acts as a natural laxative. It also slows the rate at which food leaves your stomach, which means it suppresses appetite. So indulge in a beer, and know you’re preventing overeating.

Good for Kidney Health

Although too much alcohol is noted to be bad for the kidneys, beer has been shown to be an effective reducer of kidney stones. Kidney stones result when there is too much calcium in your system and the hops in beer has been shown to slow the release of calcium from the bones. Also, beer has a high water content that helps clear out the kidneys and keeps them stone free.