What's In Your Brew?

Most Americans would say that "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy". This quote was obviously taken from American statesman Benjamin Franklin. The real question here is not whether Beer is the reason why most people are happy- it's whether you are healthy with it or not. 

Beer is like the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world. It ranked as the third most popular drink (water and tea coming in as first and second respectively). Beer is produced by brewing, fermentation and derived from cereal grains mostly coming from malted barley.

Beer

I've read in this article published in Manila Bulletin that most beer is flavored with hops (I'm not really sure what that is), apparently, this adds bitterness and act as a natural preservative. It is common practice as well that other flavorings such as herbs or fruit are occasionally included. Alcoholic beverages like wine are distilled after fermentation or fermented from non-starch sources such as grape juice (wine) or honey (mead) are not classified as beer.

According to Henry D. Tacio of Manila Bulletin Publishing; some of humanity’s earliest known writings refer to the production and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi included laws regulating beer and beer parlors, and “The Hymn to Ninkasi,” a prayer to the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, served as both a prayer and as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people. It is very noticeable today that the brewing industry has been a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies like San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines.

So the real question here is whether beer is beneficial or not to one's health?

Nutritionists claim that beer contains vitamins B and B2 (as well as B6, which is needed to make hemoglobin, the red coloring in blood). Science confirmed that these are essential minerals like calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. Dark beer is better for you than light according to several nutritionists. It contains more flavanoids which are natural oxidants that help to protect the body from disease.

Heineken

The beneficial effects of drinking alcohol have been pondered upon  from the earliest days of humankind.  Since the beginning of the 20th century, doctors and researchers have sought scientific evidence to understand the association between alcohol and human health.Studies have revealed that beer can produce the same benefits as drinking wine. Whether you prefer San Miguel, Red Horse, Heineken or Colt, studies show that one drink a day for women or up to two drinks a day for men will reduce the chances of strokes, as well heart and vascular disease. That's something new to the ears.

According to a study published in the 1999 New England Journal of Medicine, those who drank one beer a week compared to those who drank one beer a day experienced no variance in reducing stroke risks. It is said that light to moderate drinkers will decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by 20 percent. In the United States, a researcher at the Texas Southwestern Medical Center reported that those who consume moderate amounts of beer (one to two a day at the most) have a 30-40 percent lower rate of coronary heart disease compared to those who don’t drink. 

This is may come as a shock to you, but it is also proven that beer is a rich source of dietary silicon, a mineral that improves bone density.  A recent study at Tufts University suggests that beer consumption can protect bone mineral density. Thinning of the leg bones is often a problem for the elderly. “Thus far, the studies indicate a very real reduction in osteoporosis risk if you consume beer … more so than from drinking wine or spirits,” notes biochemist Charles W. Bamforth, chairman of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California and author of Beer: Health and Nutrition.

Moderate consumption helped preserve the mental abilities of older women.  According to a study published in the December 2001 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Dr. Guiseppe Zuccala of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart studied the mental abilities and alcohol use of nearly 16,000 men and women over the age of 65: approximately 8,700 regular drinkers and 7,000 non-drinkers. Moderate use of alcohol was associated with a 40 percent lower risk of mental impairment.  The Italian doctor postulated that the reasons for the difference may be alcohol’s beneficial effects on blood pressure and blood flow or perhaps the slowing of arterial disease. 

Is Beer Really Good For You?

In 1999, a Finnish-U.S. study of beer-drinking middle-aged men was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The report stated that an increase in beer consumption may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. Results showed that there was a 40 percent lower risk of kidney stones in beer drinkers, but the researchers were stumped as to whether the results were due to water, alcohol, or hops. 

However, the real low down is what you may have heard of as the so-called “beer belly.”  In a German study, Gerard Klose said “dangers begin to emerge in men measuring more than 94 centimeters around the middle, and become ‘really risky’ at a girth of 102 centimeters.”  “Too much fat,” he said, “makes diabetes, certain forms of cancer, and heart disease a distinct possibility.”

Again, as in all things, moderation is the key here.  “Beer,” commented Thomas Jefferson, “if drank in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health.” While beer is supposedly a wholesome drink that is made from natural ingredients, drinking in excess has been associated with an increased risk of several serious health ailments.  As one expert puts it: “Amount is everything. Moderate consumption can be relaxing, reducing stress, a factor in several health issues. Excess drinking leads to drawbacks that outweigh the benefits.”

Drink Moderately

Drinking above moderation can lead to liver damage, dangers of drunk driving, and damage to fetuses of pregnant women who are drinking – just to name a few. Here's another shocker: It appears that beer is not only for drinking but for cooking as well. It is incomparable as a cooking tool in Western Europe. Due to the fact that alcohol has a much lower boiling temperature than water, it evaporates quickly while cooking your recipe and thereby only leaves the characteristic taste of the beer. Some ways to use beer in cooking are as follows: marinades for beef (both tenderizes and adds flavor), as a substitute for water in different soups and stocks, used in batters for fried foods, added to gravies to spice up the taste, and as a cooking base/liquid for steaming foods like sausages, shellfish, and clams.

I guess even after posting this entry, a lot of people would still frown down at the concept of drinking beer. Unlike Australia where beer is likened to water and people drink it almost every meal, the Philippines is quite a conservative country. Most Christians (if not all) would also say that beer drinking is not Christian-like. This is now where the debate begins; whether beer and even wine is acceptable to many cultural practices, religions and the likes. My stand on this issue? Do whatever you want- it's a free country but don't judge people just because they drink.

Cheers! Let’s drink to that!