Beer, created with only 4 main ingredients, is a marvellous beverage that has been consumed by humans for more than a thousand years. Surely, something this amazing that stood the trial of time has got something to offer, besides keeping us sane.
Since there are tons of articles out there talking about the health benefits of wine drinking, AMLT being a craft beer specialist must speak up for our fellow hop heads and shed some light on beers as well!
So, are there any health benefits to drinking beer? Considering that the first impression that comes to mind are beer guzzling coffeeshop uncles that look like they have been pregnant for the past 30 years.
Well, there are. But before we proceed, even if we know the 4 or 5 people reading this are intelligent enough, we will still need to state that this article is in no way a medical or health journal/report and we are in no way qualified, these are plucked off the internet with a little bit of my research and therefore we are not going to cite any journals etc. Please, take this with a pinch of salt. Or maybe a pint of Stone Salt & Lime Lager.
1. Beer has high amount of antioxidants
Sure, wine has that and so does cider, but beer has just as much. The antioxidants present in beer are slightly different due to the flavonoids found in different malts and well as the hops. Flavonoids are a polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. On top of that, beer has a higher content of protein and Vitamin B as compared to wine and contains Iron, Calcium, Phosphates and fibre!
2. Beer improves and protect the heart
Has your heart been broken by your ex or are you stressed because your boss is being a dick and have delayed your salary time after time while you have a family to feed? Well, you know we're not lying when we say having a beer does take your mind off these negativity temporarily.
But more importantly, beer drinkers are less likely to suffer from heart attacks or develop heart diseases. In fact, regular consumption in moderation of any alcoholic beverages is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular diseases.
The keyword here is regular consumption in moderation. So if you're a hardcore alcoholic, I'm sorry. Instead of a healthier heart, the chances of you getting a stroke or heart disease increases significantly.
3. Beer is low in calories, carbs and is fat free!
Beer is a completely natural beverage and is completely fat free. Contrary to popular belief, it is not true that drinking beer makes one fat. It is usually the food that is accompanied with beer that is the culprit. So all the roasted pork and char siew food pairing that we did, adds to the calorie intake of the drinking session. If you'll like to see how we pair our beers with the almighty roasted pork, click on the video below!
The average beer has about 12 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. Munching an apple or downing a sugar filled soda can easily get you carbo loaded.
4. Beer is a social lubricant
In fact, we would rate this the most important aspect of drinking beers. We can't remember the number of times where different groups of customers have talked to each other while scanning the rows of beers in our bottle shop. And it is one of the most heart warming sights. Because of beer, there are no strangers.
beer is commonly considered to be the catalyst to any social gatherings and even Shakespeare state that “ … where people of disparate status mixed … brought men, high born and low, into relation, fostering a propinquity that might secure, adjust or threaten hierarchies.”
AMLT highly values social interactions and feels strongly that one more friend is better than one more enemy. So if you love beer and enjoy making friends, why not head over to our humble bottle shop and bond over beers!