Health Benefits of Beer

Beer is much maligned. We're often told that the health benefits of beer are really nonexistent. We're warned about the dreaded "beer belly" and about how it makes us make bad decisions.

The fact is that mixed beer drinks and straight beer were, for a long time, considered to be healthier than water. They were suggested drinks for kids, and it was thought that a pint of Guinness would help "fortify" pregnant women in the 19th century. We may know better now, but that's not to say that beer is 100 percent bad for you.

As bad as beer could be in large portions, there are many health benefits of beer drinking in moderation. Here are some of the little known health benefits of beer that many people may have forgotten about - or just never knew to begin with.

Beer Contains Nutrients

Calories aside, beer also packs a surprising nutritional punch. Though most beer is around 90 percent water, the other 10 percent includes minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium, and fluoride in trace amounts.

Studies also say that one of the biggest health benefits of beer comes from its unique antioxidant combinations. Since most other foods don't involve hops or malt, the antioxidants found in beer tend to be a "one of a kind deal" in many people's diets.

The very same study says that beer's antioxidants may actually be more powerful than those in green tea and red wine. So, if researchers are correct, your health food day should also be a drink day.

Beer also happens to have fiber in that other 10 percent as well. So, if you have been having trouble staying regular, beer could potentially help you out as long as it's in moderation.

Beer Can Reduce Risk of Osteoporosis

Bone diseases like osteoporosis are terrible, and can cause your quality of life to plummet. Researchers found out that beer can reduce risk of osteoporosis. According to studies, moderate beer drinkers were 38 percent less likely to have osteoporosis.

One of the minor nutrition-related health benefits of beer, its richness in silicon, may account for this. Most people don't have much silicon in their diet, and this trace mineral happens to be vital for bone health.

Beer Also Improves Kidney Function

You can definitely find reasons to raise a glass to this news! Researchers in Finland who performed studies on men found that they were 40 percent less likely to have kidney stones if they drink beer.

Crazier still, each bottle that beer drinkers guzzled down decreased the risk of kidney stones further. Oddly enough, wine also was found to reduce risk of kidney stones.

That being said, heavy consumers of beer risk higher rates for rarer urea-based kidney stones. Binge drinking is never healthy. So, once again, drinking in moderation is key.

You Also Can Lower Cholesterol via Beer

Heart health might not be the first thing you'd expect to see on this list, but here it is. One of the health benefits of beer apparently is better heart health. According to studies by the American Heart Association, moderate beer drinkers were more likely to have lower cholesterol.

That being said, heart health doesn't stop there. Other researchers in Italy found that moderate beer drinkers also were about 25 percent less likely to develop heart disease. Overall, it seems like both beer and wine are heart-healthy vices.

However, it's worth noting that while the occasional drink reduces heart disease, binge drinking and alcoholism actually increases the risk of heart disease drastically. As a result, you may need to control yourself if you want to reap the health benefits of beer in their entirety.

Beer Helps Prevent Diabetes

Studies showed that men who drank beer regularly, or occasionally, were at less risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. This study, however, noted that most kinds of alcohol will play a light part in actually reducing the risk of diabetes.

It's worth noting that people who have Type 2 Diabetes already should probably be very careful while drinking beer. Beer can cause blood sugars to spike, after all.

Beer Boosts Creativity

Ever notice how you seem to come up with the best ideas while you're just mildly buzzed, or how you come up with plans that you just can't believe you thought were good when you're blitzed? Apparently, that's a common thing - at least according to studies.

Scientists noted that regular beer drinkers tend to be more creative, especially when they drink. Surprised? Have a beer and you might find that it's really not that surprising at all.

Beer: A Sports Recovery Drink

Believe it or not, those college football jocks may have been up to something smart when they would pound back a beer after the big game. A research study that was conducted in Spain found that athletes that worked out until they became feverish were more hydrated and recovered faster when they were given beer rather than water.

Of all the health benefits of beer, this might be the most surprising, right? Alcohol might actually be the new Gatorade! Insanely enough, there's actually a brewery who's working on a beer that's marketed as a sports recovery drink. It's called Lean Machine, and it's not a gag gift.

Beer is Also an Immunity Booster

Apparently, having some beer may be a good way to reduce your risk of catching the flu. Studies that were conducted on chimps that were immunized showed that the monkeys that drank moderately had better rates of immunization success than those who drank sugar water.

There's a limit to the health benefits of beer here, though. The chimps that got totally blitzed actually had higher rates of infection - and also presumably had way worse hangovers.

Beer Makes You Live Longer

Beer drinkers tend to live longer than those who don't, and considering how many health benefits of beer we've counted off, is that really surprising? It shouldn't be - at least if you think of how much awesomeness there is in every can.