From The Telegragh UK 13 January 2011
Moderate drinking of ale and lager can cut the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure and even help people lose weight, doctors say.
The Spanish researchers suggest combining beer with exercise and a healthy Mediterranean diet high in fish, fruit and vegetables and olive oil.
Beer contains folic acid, vitamins, iron and calcium and has the same health benefits already attributed to moderate wine drinking, researchers found.
And they blamed fatty foods like chips, a lack of exercise and binge drinking for beer bellies in Britain.
Dr Ramon Estruch, the lead researcher, said: “Moderate beer consumption is associated with nutritional and health benefits.
“It does not necessarily mean weight gain since it has no fat and calorie content is low.”
He contrasted the culture of drinking small glasses of beer with tapas in Spain to binge drinking in Britain.
He said: “Beer drinkers here do not resemble Britons, who drink large quantities, almost without moving from one spot, while eating chips and sausages.”
The joint study was carried out by Barcelona University, the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and the Carlos III Institute of Health in Madrid.
Dr Estruch and Dr Rosa Lamuela tested 1,249 men and women over 57 years old.
They found that those who regularly drank moderate amounts of beer were less likely to suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure and had a lower body fat content.
Those with a Mediterranean diet who drank up to a pint of beer a day “not only did not put on weight, but in some cases even lost weight.”
Beer provides a 'protective' effect on the cardiovascular system and has a relatively low alcohol content compared to other drinks, they concluded.
He contrasted the culture of drinking small glasses of beer with tapas in Spain to binge drinking in Britain.
He said: “Beer drinkers here do not resemble Britons, who drink large quantities, almost without moving from one spot, while eating chips and sausages.”
The joint study was carried out by Barcelona University, the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and the Carlos III Institute of Health in Madrid.
Dr Estruch and Dr Rosa Lamuela tested 1,249 men and women over 57 years old.
They found that those who regularly drank moderate amounts of beer were less likely to suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure and had a lower body fat content.
Those with a Mediterranean diet who drank up to a pint of beer a day “not only did not put on weight, but in some cases even lost weight.”
Beer provides a 'protective' effect on the cardiovascular system and has a relatively low alcohol content compared to other drinks, they concluded.
