While it seems like all we hear lately is the dangers of drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol, there is some conflicting information that aims to downplay those dangers and even promote the positives. No one would argue that getting fall-down drunk is good for you, but a recent study published in international journal Nutrients found that drinking moderate amounts of beer can actually have positive effects on your health.
- For men, drinking beer regularly can help prevent diabetes. According to the Spanish researchers behind the study, which was peer-reviewed, moderate beer drinking can help men avoid diabetes. “Men abstainers [from beer] had a significantly higher risk of developing abnormal glucose regulation … than occasional beer drinkers, suggesting occasional beer consumption may be protective [against diabetes] in men,” the study stated.
- Drinking beer could help bone health too. The research found that those who drank beer regularly had a “decreased fracture risk,” implying that beer can help improve one health. However, the study authors did point out that “non-alcoholic components of beer may also be involved” since things like phytoestrogens can help to stimulate cells that “improve bone structure and help remineralize bone and teeth.”
- It can also help lower cholesterol. Having high cholesterol can be seriously dangerous for heart health, so it’s a bit of good news that beer helps lower cholesterol as the antioxidants it contains increases good cholesterol and regulates the bad. That being said, this effect was only seen in those who drink a very small amount of beer, somewhere between half an ounce to an ounce daily. That’s barely a sip! That being said, another recent study from BMC Medicine did find ” a protective effect of moderate alcohol drinking on cardiovascular disease,” so that’s good news!
- However, this isn’t a free pass to get drunk constantly. There are still a lot of drawbacks to excessive and even moderate drinking, especially when we’re talking about hard alcohol. Do everything in moderation and live an overall healthy lifestyle and you can enjoy your beer sometimes.
