Surprising health benefits of beer consumption

Contrary to what you might expect, moderate beer consumption is actually good for you. Dozens of studies have shown that beer can bring many surprising health benefits even though it’s usually perceived as unhealthy.

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The lifestyle blog Lifehack.org has listed the most remarkable and surprising beer benefits that might change your perception of the drink, divany.hu reported.

1. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease
A study involving 200,000 subjects found that people who drank a pint of beer daily had a 31% reduced chance of heart disease. However, before we stop to drink the second pint of beer today, it is important to note that the study also revealed that the risk of heart disease increased in people who consumed higher amounts of beer. The heart-protecting power of moderate beer consumption stems largely from beer’s natural antioxidants called phenols.

2. It can help protect against Alzheimer’s disease
Perhaps one of the most remarkable health benefits of beer is its ability to protect against Alzheimer’s. Researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine analysed several studies and came to the conclusion that the risk of developing different forms of dementia and cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s has fallen by 23% among moderate beer drinkers. This is due to the silicon content in beer which is thought to protect the brain from the harmful effects of high amounts of aluminium in the body, which is known to be one of the possible causes of Alzheimer’s disease.

3. It can help lower the risk of diabetes
A 2011 Harvard study showed that those who drank one to two beers daily had a 25% reduction in the risk of developing diabetes. This another remarkable benefit of moderate beer consumption is due to the alcohol content in beer which increases insulin sensitivity, thus helping prevent type 2 diabetes. Moreover, beer is a good source of soluble fibre that plays an important role in the healthy diet of people suffering from diabetes.

4. It can help prevent kidney stones
Moderate daily consumption of beer may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones by 40%. This health benefit is attributed to beer’s high water content (about 95%) that helps keep the kidneys working properly.

5. It can help minimize risk of cancer
Beer contains an important antioxidant called xanthohumol, which is believed to have powerful anti-cancer properties. Naturally, it is also true that only moderate beer consumption helps prevent a certain chemical reaction that can lead to prostate cancer in men, and breast cancer in women.