Beer enthusiasts may have ample reason to drink to
their health: Brauvelt
International (Volume 19, No. 2, April 2001, pp.136-140) reports several new
studies suggesting that moderate consumption of beer helps curtail
cardiovascular disease. While
research comparing beer, wine and liquor indicates that alcohol aids in the
prevention of heart disease, further studies indicate that the malt, yeast and
hops in beer introduce compounds that also reduce risks of heart disease.
Beer drinkers have a nutritional advantage over wine
and liquor drinkers in that beer contains several vitamins.
Malting procedures increase the concentration of vitamins in the grain.
Stable enough to withstand the rigors of the brewing process, these
vitamins are present in the beer. Yeast
also contribute to the vitamin content of beer. Many of the vitamins found in beer, namely B6, B12, and
folate, assist in deterring cardiovascular disease.
Do the folate and B-vitamins in beer reduce the
possibility of heart disease? Doctors
currently correlate high blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine with
greater threat of heart disease. They
believe folate and B-vitamin-rich diets reduce the presence of the amino acid in
the blood. This prompted one team
of researchers to investigate the relationship between beer consumption and
homocysteine levels. Their analysis
reports lower homocysteine levels in beer drinkers and attributes the effect to
folate.
Vitamins are not the only health benefit of beer.
Compounds commonly found in malt and hops load beer with antioxidants,
which are believed to minimize risk of both cardiovascular disease and cancer.
While it has not yet been determined if humans absorb the antioxidants
from hops at a level beneficial to health, researchers have observed that humans
absorb 100% of the malt-derived antioxidant ferulic acid.
(Brewer’s note: ferulic acid is also utilized by our special Hefeweizen yeast
to produce the beer’s clove character.)
Enough evidence exists to
support the belief that moderate consumption of
alcohol decreases risks of cardiovascular disease. Beer, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, may be the
healthiest of alcoholic beverages to select.
Unfortunately, many people regard beer drinking as
the badge of a poor lifestyle, rather than a supplement to healthy
living. This underestimation may
change as researchers continue to explore the nutritional value of beer.