BEER AND HEALTH

A medical study examined the beer-drinking habits of a group of people who had had a heart attack, as well as of a group randomly selected from the Czech population. The Czech Republic is especially appropriate for such a study because it is a country of beer drinkers. Perhaps surprisingly, in both groups, the lowest risk for heart attack was found in men who drank about 11 to 24 pt (5.2 - 11.3 litres) of beer a week. Their risk was a third of that seen in the men who never drank beer. But if they drank more, the protection was lost and problems appeared! Dark beer seems to be especially protective. It was even found to reduce the potential harm caused by the notorious "hetero cyclic aromatic amines" (HAAs) that form when food is heated to a high temperature. Serving dark beer at a barbecue is a good idea.

    Beers cardiovascular benefits a likely due to poly phenols, those pigmented antioxidants that are also found in fruits, tea, and wine. Researchers have found that drinking one beer a day alters the structure of fibrinogen, a protein in the blood responsible for clotting. In a study of men who had undergone bypass surgery.they found that those who drank 12 oz (355 ml) of beer a day were less likely to form blood clots, and at reduced risk for heart attacks and strokes.