We are going to talk about what we can do as craft beer drinkers stay as healthy as we possibly can. Now, I will readily admit that I’m not the best person to take advice from when it comes to health. I am easily a good 40 pounds overweight. Yes, I’m trying to fix that. I have lost 8 pounds so far. But, I need to also admit that having all of these great craft beer options can make losing weight a difficult task. So, shouts out to all of you who are still in shape and still can consume a good amount of beer and remain healthy. There are many studies out there with different opinions and theories on beer and how it affects your health. Some say that beer is bad for you. Some say that beer is good for you. It is enough to make your head spin. So, I have perused through several studies and picked out three important points that I believe could be beneficial to all of us and they are simple. It was interesting to find out that the average American guy drinks about 23 gallons of beer per year. That is a lot of beer. Studies have suggested that, when consumed in moderation, beer has many health benefits.
For instance, moderate amounts of alcohol may be good for the heart. An Emory University study involving over 2,200 elderly men and women discovered that those who consumed at least 1.5 drinks daily had up to a 50% lesser risk of suffering from heart failure. Another study conducted by Germany, France and the United Kingdom found that moderate consumption of beer or wine may have anti-inflammatory properties, which can lower the risk coronary heart disease. Beer can also be good for your brain. Using an MRI, a Boston scientist discovered that light drinkers (one to six drinks a week) to moderate drinkers (seven to 14 drinks a week) have fewer strokes than nondrinkers — probably because of alcohol’s effect in thinning the blood and preventing the formation of tiny blood clots in the brain. Note, however, that although heavy drinkers (more than 15 drinks a week) have the least amount of strokes, they also suffer the most atrophy or wasting of brain tissues. So, pick your poison on that one. Moderate amounts of beer can also help reduce stress, decrease anxiety and self-consciousness, and improve your mood. Beer in particular has plenty of nutrients, such as protein, B vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, iron, niacin, and riboflavin. What all doctors and scientists agree on, however, is that the health risks of drinking larger amounts of alcohol will quickly outweigh its benefits. The very bad part concerns your weight and your liver. One of the most common harmful effects of beer is on the liver, the organ that removes toxins from the body. In the liver, enzymes first convert alcohol into acetaldehyde, a chemical intermediate that can cause nausea, headache, vomiting, and other bad effects of alcohol ingestion. Remember, this key point. A healthy liver can process a standard drink (a 12 oz can of beer) an hour — if you drink any faster than that, you risk overloading your body’s ability to process alcohol. Allow your liver to recover by not drinking alcohol every day — in fact, have as many alcohol-free days as possible between drinking. One key point is to be mindful of how much beer that you consume.
At one point, I was consuming three of four beers per day. I cut back on that drastically to about one beer per day. Now, I am going to attempt to not drink any alcohol during the weekdays for two months. I know some guys who have gone without beer or any other alcohol for a month. I can’t do that. For one, I would be letting you guys down as listeners of BIF. So, that’s out of the question. I’m going to stick to drinking my beers on the weekends. I’m going to try to stick to no more than five beers on the weekends. Also, consider taking nutritional supplements that contain herbs and nutrients that help keep the liver healthy. These supplement may contain milk thistle extract, curcumin, gotu kola, schizandra berry, and other liver-friendly herbs clinically shown to help rid the liver of toxins and improve liver functions. I am a big believer in the milk thistle extract. This may seem like a very simple solution. But you will be surprised how many people don’t do this. Make sure that when you’re drinking beer in large consumption, you have something to eat. Do not drink on an empty stomach. A full stomach to help you cut down on the amount of beer that you drink. Plus, it will help your body absorb and release some of the properties that you don’t want lingering in your system.
I think we all can get down with those steps. All of the supporters and listeners to BIF are family to us and we want all of you to live a long healthy life.