Doctors Health Press, a division of Lombardi Publishing Corporation and publisher of various natural health newsletters, books, and reports, including the popular online Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, is reporting on a new study finding that drinking beer can offer health benefits similar to those of red wine.
As Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin (http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/heart-health-articles/can-beer-protect-your-heart) notes, it’s well-known by now that red wine, when consumed in moderate amounts, can have a beneficial effect on the heart. In this recent study, researchers strove to answer the question, “What about beer? Does drinking beer have any benefits?”
As the article “Can Beer Protect Your Heart?” reports, looking at the stats, red wine contains a number of polyphenols. Included in this group are flavonoids, such as anthocyanins and tannins. Red wine also contains non-flavonoids, such as cinnamates, gallic acid, and the well-known resveratrol. These compounds work together to act as potent antioxidants. Scientific studies have suggested that red wine consumption could lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, act as an anti-inflammatory agent, and prevent the growth of cancerous tumors.
The Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin article states that beer, too, contains polyphenols, albeit not quite as many as red wine. Studies have shown that drinking beer in moderation (think one to two glasses per day) could lower a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer—similar to the effects of drinking wine.
As the article notes, while it’s true that red wine is superior in polyphenol content due to the fact that wine is partially made from the skins of grapes, where the concentration of antioxidants is highest, beer that is well-crafted is rich in carbohydrates, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols. Beer’s polyphenols mainly come from the presence of hops or malt, two of the raw ingredients that go into making the beverage; about 30% come from hops, with 70% to 80% originating from malt.
Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin concludes by noting that the health benefits of drinking beer or wine stem from the overall mix of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other substances. These ingredients work together to produce multifaceted protective effects inside the body. And while consuming too much of both these drinks could be detrimental to a person’s health, having a glass of wine a day or drinking beer in moderation should give the body an extra dose of unique nutrients.
(SOURCE: Arranz, S., et al., “Wine, Beer, Alcohol and Polyphenols on Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer,” Nutrients 2012; 4(7): 759–81.)
- Courtesy of PRWeb