As anyone who has visited here more than a few times knows, I am a firm believer in the many benefits of coffee, The Holy Brew, but only recently have I made note of my affection for beer (spurred in part, I must admit, by Bernie’s slanderous ( ;-)) post, Beer Will Turn Men Into Women, noted again in comments on this post :-)). So, I thought to myself, “Self, why not post about some of the good reasons to drink The Lesser Holy Brew?” *heh* And so it goes…
“Beer, if drank in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.”–Thomas Jefferson
The Health Benefits (just google the phrases I bold for more than just one link to the info):
1.) Light-to-moderate beer drinking may lower stroke risk by as much as 20%.
2.) THe polyphenols in red wine that have so much good press about their antioxidant effect reducing free radicals and reducing the risk of heart attacks? Beer has simmilar amounts of polyphenols and 2-3 servings a day can lower risk of coronary atery diosease by 30-40%.
3.) Homocysteine has been shown to have strong links to heart disease, and Vitamin B6–great for controlling homocysteine levels–is abundant in beer. Beer drinkers show healthier homocysteine blood levels than wine or liquor drinkers.
4.) Moderate beer drinking has a stress-reducing effect (whereas almost everyone can envision the stress-inducing effects of heavy beer drinking–*heh*).
5. A glass of beer is a great soporific. 🙂 Beer is not the perfect sleep aid, but is beneficial to some. In moderation.
6.) Beer helps promote blood vessel dilation (many side benefits–especially for us old guys) and urination.
7.) A main ingredient in beer is a prostate cancer antagonist (!). (So, between hops’ xanthohumol and beer’s famous ability to promote urination, a wonderful benefit to guys as we age ;-)).
8.) A Finnish study indicates that beer seems to reduce the risk of developing kidney stones.
9.) Those clever Japanese have discovered that beta-pseudouridine found in beer actually helps reduce chromosonal damage from radiation exposure! (Maybe I can dispense with my lead cup and tinfoil hat, ya think? :-))
10.) Beer contains anti-inflammatory agents (from the hops). Nice for my joints–and maybe yours, too, eh?
The alcohol in beer–generally less than in many other alcoholic beverages–is also beneficial in several ways, including
11.) Lowering HDL levels
12.) In mice at least, alcohol spurs the growth of new brain cells. (I’m not a mouse, but the research indicates that moderate beer drinking may actually help me as much as coffee does! :-))
13.) Moderates insulin levels.
There are more, of course, but it seems the folk wisdom of yore reflected in the Jefferson quote above has much more basis in fact than 99% of Mass Media Podpeople or politicians’ *spit* statements.
Noted en passant at the Thursday Thirteen Hub, and further noted at Outside the Beltway, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Perri Nelson’s Website, Faultline USA, Right Celebrity, DeMediacratic Nation, Big Dog’s Weblog, The Pink Flamingo, Cao’s Blog, Leaning Straight Up, CommonSenseAmerica, Conservative Thoughts, Pursuing Holiness, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Fun list. Also, I like your opening quote.
“Davido” I gather you’re NOT the “Baptist” I thunk you were! 😉
Much as I like the “flavor” only ’bout two per month will work for me. More than that will make my big toe on my right foot hurt.
Way back when I was still on “active duty” I began this “up close & personal” relationship with “rich man’s disease” (AKA, gout) — trouble is I t’wernt rich.
ALL the “diets” for gout call for low purine foods. Actually, I’ve learned which ones I can eat in “moderation” & which ones I have to leave off entirely!
Anyway, one of the “no-no” items is any alcohol. HOWEVER, I’ve found that certain “hard” drinks don’t make any difference.
I asked a knowledgeable “flight surgeon” ’bout it. He gave me a “good” chemical answer — which I no longer remember the details.
Bottom line: beer is more de-hydrating than “hard” liquor. Thus . . . . . .
LOL very informative list – if I drank……
No, Hugh, I am not the a-biblical (or is that UNbiblical) “Baptist” that most contemporary Southern Baptists are. I am a far more traditional Baptist than that. *heh* As to the gout issue–man, I feel for you! UNable to have one or two beers a day… now that’s tribulation! 🙂
Addendum for Hugh: “More than that will make my big toe on my right foot hurt.” I might almost be willing to give up one of my big toes for beer… of course, I’d wanna give up the most arthritic one… *heh*
mnm, Well, most of the real benefits of beer can be had with a regimen of OTC supplements; they just don’t taste as good. 😉 (Of course, anyone who drinks mass-produced American “beer” would never know that. There’s a REASON for those Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales, you know: they can just bottle the water “filtered” through them and call it “beer”. *LOL*)
BNP, Yeh, Jefferson was often on point.
Well . . . one of my favorites is Shiner Bock. Of course, mostly it’s nostalgia!
Shiner, TX, is ’bout 50 miles SE of San Antone. It was the “center point” of one of our flight training areas when I was going thru the throes of T-38 IP training. Don’t know what’s there today, but in the mid ’70s, the brewery wuz 90% of the entire town.
At “Randy” (Universal City, TX) Bud, Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, et al, was selling for $1.80 a six-pack at the time. Shiner was $.90 a six-pack!
Now that Carolina has decided to “import” it from the Republic of Texas, the price is $5.99 per six-pack.
Dollar a beer — don’t think so!
A dollar a beer… not actually a bad price compared with pop (which will rot your gut, lade on more pounds than beer, encourage diabetes and a host of other ills).
But Bud, Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, et al? *Sheesh!* That stuff’s just water “filtered” through a horse… not worth using as a shampoo, at least not when ya can get real poo for nothing.
I had a real interesting beer today from a small brewery (New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, CO) called “1554”–a black ale. Well, “black” may be a bit much, but it certainly looked as dark as a Coke in the glass. Rich, almost a hint of unsweetened (baker’s) chocolate undertone. Not bitter, but the hops were quite a presence. A real mouthful, almost a “chewy” texture. I’m kinda wondering if I’ll be able to reproduce it when I start brewing my own (purty soon, now–want to get my “bewery room” set up downstairs).
Oh, and I’m collecting some screwtop bottles (and saving the caps) from Boulevard Brewing to use when I make… root beer. *heh* Yeh, fermented for the carbonization to about 3% alcohol content or less so my Wonder Woman can have some (she’s limited in her alcohol consumption by interactions with some of her meds, and so has had to give up her glass of wine :-)).
That’s some good info about the benefits of beer in your blog.
Funny informations!