That’s right… Health benefits. Yeah there’s still that risk of liver disease, obesity, and addiction, but these are the results of not exercising restraint and consuming excessive amounts regularly. For us casual beer drinkers, I think it’s safe to say that we are the epitome of good health. The perfect male specimen chiseled from stone.

It has been proven that women who drink 1 beer per day and men who drink up to 2 beers per day will actually reduce their risk of suffering a stroke, heart and vascular diseases. In November of 1999 there was an article posted in the New England Journal of medicine stating that light to moderate beer drinkers reduce their risk of a stroke by 20%.

A study done at the Texas Southwestern Medical Center in May of 1999 stated that those who stick to only drinking 1-2 beers per day have a 30-40% lower chance of coronary heart disease as compared with those who don’t drink. Beer can contain roughly the same amount of polyphenols as red wine and 4-5 times the amount of polyphenols in white wine. Polyphenols are substances found in plants and can reduce one’s risk of heart disease and cancer.

The alcohol in beer obviously can cause you to have a rough next morning, but (again, in moderation) it has been proven to increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) into the bloodstream as well as help to decrease blood clots.

Beer contains Vitamin B6. B6 prevents the build up of an amino acid call homocysteine, which has been linked to heart disease. People who have higher levels of homocysteine usually have a higher risk of early onset heart and vascular disease. A study conducted by the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institution indicates that those who drink beer had no increase in their homocysteine level, however; those who drank wine or hard liquor had an increase of up to 10%. They also noted that those who drank beer, as opposed to wine or liquor, showed a 30% increase in Vitamin B6 in their blood plasma. What this proves is that drinking beer is truly healthier than drinking other alcoholic beverages.

A few other interesting facts about beer you should know are that:

• Beer is fat and cholesterol free
• Beer can have a relaxing effect on the body and therefore reduces stress
• Beer can help you sleep
• It has proven to have positive effects on elderly people. It helps to promote blood vessel dilation, sleep, and urination.

So there you go, gentlemen. 1-2 beers per day is actually good for your health. Cheers.

Source: http://www.essortment.com/all/beerhealthbene_rryq.htm