10 Reasons to Drink a Little Alcohol
Beer sure has benefits people! For those of you who don’t consume beer, it easy to judge but there are 10 things beneficial about gulping few bottles of beer after work or at a hang-out with friends and/ family.
1. Beer for better digestion. Beer, and especially dark beer, contains up to one gram of soluble fibre* in each 30 cl glass – unlike wine, which doesn’t contain any fibre at all. Fibre plays an important role in intestinal transit (a fibre deficiency can cause gastric and intestinal disorders such as constipation or diarrhoea).
2. Beer keeps your kidneys healthy. A Finish study singled out beer among other alcoholic beverages, finding that it was better for your kidneys. In fact, each bottle of beer you drink reduces the risk of developing kidney stones by 40%.
3. Beer for stronger bones! A 2009 study concluded that the elevated levels of silicon in beer can contribute to higher bone density.
4. Beer to lower your bad cholesterol. The fibre in beer can also help reduce your levels of LDL cholesterol, i.e. the “bad” type of cholesterol.
5. Beer can increase your vitamin B levels. Beer contains several B vitamins (B1, B2, B6 and B12). A Dutch study found that beer drinkers had 30 percent higher levels of vitamin B6 than their non-drinking counterparts, and levels that were twice as high as those of wine drinkers. Beer is also a generous source of vitamin B12, an anti-anaemic factor not found in many foods.
6. Beer helps prevent blood clots. The ingredients in beer help prevent blood clots from forming.
7. Beer boosts your memory. According to studies, beer drinkers are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia than non-beer drinkers.
8. Beer as a cure for insomnia. Lactoflavin and nicotinic acid, which are both present in beer, can promote sleep!
9. Beer helps combat stress. Researchers at the University of Montreal found that two glasses of beer a day can reduce work-related stress or anxiety.
10. Beer reduces your risk of a heart attack. Beer drinkers have a 40 to 60 percent reduced risk of suffering a heart attack compared with non-beer drinkers.