Rejoice, Beer Drinking Is Healthy!

In a new study, conducted by Spanish researchers, which examined 1,249 subjects of both sexes, it was found out that regular beer drinkers had less body fat, were less likely to be obese, and suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure.

But before you start jumping with joy, this is not for Bacchanalian revelers. Men in the study enjoyed the benefits with up to 3 bottles, cans, or mugs a day. Women should call it a night after having two drinks. So, you see, moderation, as in everything else, plays a very important role here.


The research further revealed that the results were not due to beer alone, but with its combination with the healthy natural Mediterranean diet which is popular in that region of the globe. Beer drinkers who stuck to this combination were not only less likely to gain weight, but were more likely to lose pounds during the study.

We have long associated a bloated belly with beer drinking, hence, the coinage of the word "beer belly." Well, the time has come to discard this as a myth. Beer belly has more to do with the foods served with the beer, rather than with the brews itself.

The rest of the results of this research consistently confirmed that regular drinkers, whether it's beer, wine, or liquor, tend to be in much better shape than non-drinkers.

In another study which ran for 13 years involving 20,000 women, moderate drinkers were found to be 30% less likely to be overweight.

Moderate alcohol consumption lowers your risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. But here's a word of caution for women with a high family risk of breast cancer: your risk of breast cancer increases by 200% with only a drink or two daily. So, if you have a relative with breast cancer, the basic rule or guideline of a drink or two a day does not apply to you , though you can have a drink once in a while, if you cannot totally avoid it. [Search Amazon.com for Cancer: Step Outside The Box]

I'm reminded of my dear  Dad, who was a regular beer drinker. He obviously enjoyed beer, but certainly exercised moderation. He brought the habit along unto his retirement, drinking two to three bottles of beer every late afternoon just before dinner. So, by dinner time, he already felt full and could only consume a small amount of food. I already realized then that it must have been a big factor in his good health as he had no maintenance medication all his entire life, and managed to stay slim, no beer belly. And that was even long before this studies came out.