Healthy Reasons to Drink Beer

By: Sylvia Booth Hubbard

Planning on using a few cool brews to help you chill out during the coming summer heat? You may be giving your health a boost as well. An entire decade of scientific research shows that drinking beer regularly, but moderately (a maximum of two 12 ounce glasses daily for men and one for women), can reduce some of the risks associated with aging. Risk-reducing benefits include:

• Heart attack – Like wine, beer’s more refined brother, beer also has positive effects on the heart. Studies show that beer raises HDL or good cholesterol, and men who drink alcohol can reduce their risk of having a heart attack by as much as 35 percent when compared to men who don’t drink.

• Stroke – Beer can hinder the prevention of artery-clogging blood clots, which are the most common cause of stroke.

• Diabetes – Beer may protect against developing type 2 diabetes and may also lower a diabetic’s risk of developing heart disease. (Note to diabetics: consult with your doctor.)

• Osteoporosis – Beer, due to its high silicone content, may help prevent bone loss and even help rebuild bones in younger men and women.

• Dementia – Studies have found that seniors who are moderate drinkers of alcohol, which includes beer, have a lowered risk of dementia. A report published by the American Heart Association found that women who drank moderately had higher cognitive function than those who drank heavily or didn’t drink at all.

So in the coming summer heat, raise a glass to your health. Salud!

H/T Nebraska Bob

Then there is also this reason.....