More Good News for Drinkers

Feb. 9, 2015 – The good news just keeps coming for beer and other types of alcohol.  We’ve covered the possible positive effects of xanthohumol, a compound found in hops, on the brain http://www.wineandspirits.com/could-beer-be-good-for-alzheimers/ but there’s the heart, diabetes, bones and more.

An Italian study showed that moderate beer drinkers had 42 percent lower risk of heart disease when compared to abstainers.  We’ve reported before on several studies that show teetotalers have a higher mortality rate than moderate drinkers.  Alcoholic drinks boost HDL, the good cholesterol and lower the bad, LDL.  A drink or two thins the blood reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

In Canada, an analysis of more than 20 studies of drinking habits confirmed that people who never drink and those who drink too much are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Women who had two drinks a day were less likely to become diabetic.  The magic is limiting the number of drinks because a Swedish study showed that if moderate drinkers start drinking more it has the opposite effect.
Moving over to Spain, a study there analyzed the vitamin and iron content of beer.  Dark beers have the most iron at 121 parts per billion (ppb), pale ales are at 92 ppb and alcohol free beer is a measly 63 ppb.  Beer also contains B vitamins and are higher than wine in calcium, magnesium and selenium.

Back home a study from Oregon Health and Science University indicates that light drinking boost the immune system.  They’re not sure why but maybe it the antioxidant thing again.  Drink too much or don’t drink at all and you’ll be more likely to catch a cold.

The Natural Medicine Journal reports that women who have at least two beers a day have stronger bones.  Alcohol free beers are just as efficacious in this case.
After all that beer drinking, it’s time to work out.  Believe it or not, researchers at Granada University in Spain found that students whose bodies reached 104 degrees from working out who cooled off with beer were more hydrated than those who drank water.  Demand your gym start stocking beer!

We looked but couldn’t find anything recent on the effect of different types of alcohol on weight gain or loss.  We’ll keep looking, but in the meantime we’ll go to the gym and drink water.