(Published in Enrich magazine 2010)
IT'S ALMOST WIDELY ACCEPTED that
drinking a glass of red wine daily might be good for your health. That’s
because research has shown the abundant antioxidants in red wine seem to
protect the body from heart attacks while also raising the levels of HDL (the
good cholesterol) in the blood. What’s not that well known, however, is that
beer has half the concentration of antioxidants in red wine and drinking beer
in moderation could be as healthy an activity as a glass of red wine.
To claim a "healthy beer"
exists would quickly be derided as pure tripe by teetotalers, health gurus and
the intensely pious, however. Others would describe the phrase "healthy
beer" as an oxymoron (a contradiction in terms) similar to other oxymora
such as “dry beer,” “hard liquor” and “dry Martini.” But then, a “healthy beer”
would be a totally ludicrous concept to those who still consider beer as “The
Devil’s Brew”.
On the other hand, there’s a
growing body of medical data that seems to point to the unsettling conclusion
beer might indeed have some health benefits. And that the key to unlocking
these benefits is drinking beer in moderation, moderation, moderation.
The world held its “1st Beer & Health
Symposium” a decade ago. This and subsequent symposia—while raising cynics’
eyebrows—sought to drive home the audacious conclusion “. . . beer is a
well-balanced, low-alcohol beverage with significant levels of vitamins (in
particular folates), minerals and silicon. Regular, moderate beer drinking may
be a part of a healthy lifestyle together with wholesome food, exercise,
keeping your weight down and not smoking”.
These claims aren’t all that surprising if one recalls
previous studies that show all alcoholic drinks are linked to a lower risk of
coronary heart disease (CHD) or heart attack. The groundbreaking Framingham
Heart Study conducted from 1949 to 1966 in the USA showed moderate drinkers had
50 percent fewer deaths from CHD than non-drinkers. CHD is the leading cause of
premature death in the Philippines and the developed world. It’s also the
seventh leading cause of sickness in our country, according to the Department
of Health.
This stunning benefit from moderate
alcohol consumption, also called “The French Paradox,” can be assumed to be due
to a drink’s alcohol content, whether the drink be red wine or beer. But also
to moderate drinking. The concept of a “healthy beer” might not be so
farfetched, after all.
Drink in Moderation
The sea change that now recognizes health benefits can be
had from moderate alcohol consumption is best illustrated by modifications in
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The official recommendation in 1990 was
that “wine has no net health benefit.” In 1995, that recommendation was changed
to “. . . if you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation, with meals,
and when consumption does not put you or others at risk.”
Quantified, “moderate drinking” means downing one to three
drinks a day for most men, and one to two drinks for most women. A “drink” is
this case is defined as a one-fourth liter glass (250 ml or some 12 grams by
weight) with a strength of four to five percent alcohol by volume. This is the
equivalent of half a pint of beer in the United Kingdom.
The American Heart Association (AHA)
noted that if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. AHA said men can down one
to two drinks per day while women can take one drink per day. It defines a
drink of beer as one weighing 12 fluid ounces or 355 ml. It cautions people who
don’t drink alcohol not to begin drinking if they don’t already drink.
This data on moderate drinking, however, refers to healthy
adults (mostly Caucasians who have larger physical builds than Filipinos). It’s
also prudent to remember that the effect of one drink on a woman is almost
equal to the effect two drinks have on a man.
This is because factors such as gender, body size,
experience and food intake influence one's capacity to resist drunkenness. On
average, a healthy person can metabolize or remove alcohol from his body at the
rate of one-half ounce of alcohol per hour. Because of this snail’s pace,
drinking in moderation remains the only sure way to ward of drunkenness.
The famous San Miguel Pale Pilsen (a pale lager) has an
alcohol content that is five percent by volume or four percent by weight. The
familiar San Mig bottle holds 320 ml of beer. In contrast, San Miguel's Red
Horse Extra Strong beer has an alcohol content of seven percent in a larger 500
ml bottle.
Should it be called a
Beer Belly?
Beer, the world's most popular alcoholic beverage, is made
from malted barley (also called a starch source that will be converted to
alcohol), cereals, hops (for flavor) yeast and water. These ingredients are
organic substances that also help maintain a healthy, balanced diet, according
to healthy beer advocates. The grains used to make beer also contain silicon
that helps boost bone density.
To make beer or brewing beer, barley is sprouted (or
malted), a process that increases the nutritional value of the cereals used.
Sprouting also increases the vitamin content of beer. Despite this fermentation
process, beer remains about 90 to 95 percent water with a relatively low
alcohol content. Beer ranges from less than three percent alcohol by volume
(abv) to around 14 percent abv.
Dr. Erik Skovenborg from Denmark, regarded as an expert on
the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on health, said in 2001 that
moderate drinking means drinking within the limits of your own health, always
taking into account your family and friends. It’s a definition almost similar
to that in the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. He noted most men and
women tend to drink moderately, and argued a distinction should be made between
the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages and alcohol abuse or
alcoholism.
He also said there isn’t a definite answer as to whether
beer is fattening. The “amber nectar,” however, must be drunk in moderation and
at meal times to head off weight problems. According to some studies, the
infamous “beer belly” linked to obesity in beer drinkers might not be due to
the beer at all but to other factors such as the consumption of food high in
calories and rich in fat.
In addition, alcohol should never be imbibed along with
potentially addictive medicines such as tranquillizers, sleeping pills and
barbiturates. Persons with stomach, liver or pancreas problems shouldn’t drink
alcoholic beverages. Taking either aspirin or paracetamol before or after
alcohol consumption can seriously damage the stomach lining and should be
avoided.
HDL and Antioxidant
Benefits
Data was presented to members of
the European Parliament and Europeans at the 2nd Beer & Health
Symposium in Belgium in October 2001 to support the case for the benefits of a
moderate consumption of beer. Among these contentious pieces of scientific
evidence is the alcohol in beer could increase serum levels of HDL; that
alcohol’s an antioxidant; that drinking moderately may protect the heart from
future heart attacks and that beer contains vitamins vital to the body.
Proponents of moderate beer and alcohol drinking say the
amount of HDL in the blood increases when alcohol is consumed. Higher levels of
HDL have been shown to be associated with a lower risk of coronary heart
disease. One glass of beer a day can significantly increase HDL levels,
according to some research.
The antioxidant benefit derived from beer is due to cereal
grains such as malted barley. Cereal grains are a good source of antioxidants.
One study showed that beer (both light and dark varieties) high in antioxidants
generally have a high content of “polyphenols” that may reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease and cancer by still undefined mechanisms. Beer contains
half the amount of antioxidants in red wine but more than twice that in white
wine per drink of equivalent alcohol content. One bottle of wine is equivalent
to six glasses of beer.
It’s not that well known but beer also contains vitamins.
Beer is rich in most of the B- vitamins such as riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3),
panthothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate or folic acid (B9)
and Cobalamin (B12). Research has shown that taking more Vitamin B9 or folates
may provide protection against cardiovascular disease and cancer. An adequate
folate levels is vital for the normal functioning of the enzymes responsible
for healthy DNA.
To derive the most out of the health benefits accruing
moderate beer drinking, one must also make healthy lifestyle changes such as
having a healthy diet and regular exercise. No, it doesn’t mean drinking more
beer. That would be alcohol abuse, which is dangerous both to the drinker’s
health and to the safety of those around him. And remember there’s strong
scientific evidence heavy drinkers don’t benefit from the significantly reduced
CHD risk that comes only with moderate drinking.
Drinking too much or too fast causes headaches, nausea and a
loss of control and judgment, all of which are dangerous and must be avoided.
Sadly, drunk driving remains a leading cause of road accidents worldwide. Data
from the Philippine National Police show drunk driving incidents rose by over
six percent, or from 692 cases in 2008 to 735 cases in 2009. In the USA, some
11,800 persons died as a result of drunk driving accidents in 2008.
“Everything in moderation. Nothing in excess,” is a laudable
aphorism to remember when drinking beer, wine or any alcoholic beverage.
