Drinking a pint of beer a day can be good for the heart, according to a new study. Similarly, alcohol wad found to lower the risk of heart disease by 20 percent.
Binge drinking on beer has long been known to be harmful to the heath. However, moderate consumption of beer can reduce the risk of heart attack and blood vessel diseases by a quarter.
Researchers from the IRCCS Mediterranean Neurological Institute claim that alcohol, along with other chemicals contained in the drink can reduce the risk of heart diseases, artery disease and stroke. The author of the study looked at 150 previously done studies to link beer and heart disease.
Published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, the research concluded that drinking 1.4 pints, which is equivalent to two 330ml cans of beer a day, could protect the heart, without increasing the risk for cancer or dementia.
However, the study importantly notesd that only moderate drinking has health benefits. Excessive drinking is known to harm the body, according to Dr. Simona Costanzo, author of the study.
Costanzo explains that moderate and regular consumption of beer has no detrimental effects and has the ability to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The consumption, however, must be placed in the context of a healthy diet and lifestyle with physical activity, according to Daily Mail.
Beer contains high level of antioxidants and compounds that can clean up harmful chemicals that cause heart attacks. The well-loved alcoholic drink also contains minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iodine and phosphorous. Beer is also low in sugar allowing a lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to heart disease.
In a similar study from the University of Scranton, dark ales and stouts were found to reduce the incidence for atherosclerosis. In a similar manner, beer can clean the build-up of cholesterol and fatty substances in the artery walls that cause heart problems.
Alcohol was also found to lower the risk of developing coronary heart disease by 20 percent. A study of 22,000 post-menopausal women from Denmark found that two glasses of wine per day could cut the risk of heart problems, according to Telegraph.
Similar to beer, alcohol is believed to cut the risk of heart disease by raising good cholesterol levels. Unless people are at high risk for alcohol-related cancer, there is no reason for healthy adults to drink alcohol moderately.
