On a sunny day, there is nothing
as delicious as a cool, crisp beer.
And drinking a pint a day is good
for the heart, a study has found.
While binge drinking is known to
harm our health, moderate consumption reduces the risk of heart and blood
vessel diseases by a quarter, researchers discovered.
The team, from the IRCCS
Mediterranean Neurological Institute, Pozzilli, said the alcohol and other
chemicals in the drink reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and artery
disease.
They reviewed 150 studies and
concluded drinking 1.4 pints or two 330ml cans protects the heart without
increasing the odds of dementia or cancers, the Times reports.
One of the authors, Dr Simona
Costanzo, of the IRCCS Mediterranean Neurological Institute, said it is
important to note that the study found only moderate drinking has health
benefits.
Excessive drinking – such as
binging on a lot of alcohol at the weekend - is known to harm the body, she
insisted.
She told Italian health website
ItaliaSalute: ‘Instead a moderate and regular consumption of beer, placed in
the context of a healthy diet, with a healthy lifestyle also involving physical
activity, appears to have no detrimental effects, and indeed demonstrated its
ability to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.'
The study comes after a slew of
research suggests moderate drinking - of wine as well as beer - does more good
than harm and can be part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Beer is known to contain high
level of antioxidants - compounds which mop up harmful chemicals thought to
cause heart attacks.
It also contains minerals
including phosphorus, iodine, magnesium and potassium - and is low in sugar,
high levels of which have been linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity - which
are risk factors for heart disease.
Previous research from the
University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, found dark ales and stouts can reduce
the incidence of atherosclerosis
This is where artery walls become
furred-up with cholesterol and other fatty substances - raising the risk of
heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.
The scientists, led by Professor
Joe Vinson, believe the risk of atherosclerosis could be cut by as much as half
through drinking ale.
Another study found beer could
even slow neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
Chinese scientists found an
ingredient in hops, called xanthohumol or Xn, could help protect brain cells
from oxidative damage associated with dementia.
The research, published in the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggested that people who regularly
drink beer might be better able to ward off the progression of these diseases.
The new study was published in
the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases.
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