Which beers are good for health?

Since there is a general awareness that alcohol is bad for health, people have started to become more health-conscious and keeping a track of their alcohol consumption. There are certainly some healthy advantages to drinking beer, the details of which have been explained in the sections below.

The Alcohol Content

To begin with, the beers which contain the lowest amount of alcohol content would be a good start.

One of the best ways to measure this is using what is called ABV or Alcohol by Volume. It is a standard estimate to know the amount of alcohol in a given drink. With regard to beer, there are beers that have alcohol content as low as 0.5%, and as high as 40-60%. The beers on the lower end of the percentage spectrum are usually healthier than those on the high end. The ABV of the beer is usually mentioned on the beer can or bottle, along with the ingredients, manufacturer details, etc.

As a general rule, the lower the alcohol percentage, the safe the alcohol percentage would be. This advantage however would probably be negated if the alcohol were to be consumed in large quantities, the details of which are explained in detail further down below.

Also to note is that there are ‘beers’ which have 0% alcohol content. These are of course imitation beers and not actual beers, where the drink is made to taste like beer without any alcohol in it.

Select Beer Varieties

Another thing to note is specific beers that may prove to have useful and specific health benefits. A few of them are mentioned below.

• Heart-Friendly Beer

It has been known for a long time that beer has a positive effect on heart health. It was found, for example, that moderate consumption of beer was associated with a lowered risk of heart health, according to a study in 2012. The reason for this was attributed to the many natural antioxidants, which are found in abundance in beer.

• Gluten-Free Beer

This is a great beer for those who may have gluten allergies. Given that beer is made entirely from grains, it would be impossible to escape from the potential allergic reactions that may come from drinking everyday beer. About the only problem with gluten-free beer is that it is a bit difficult to source. This however, is not something to worry about given how the internet makes it possible to purchase it. In addition to this, there is a growing market for gluten-free beer, which should prove to be very helpful.

• Brain Beer

Also called brain-health beer by some, it has been shown that this beer would actually help to better brain function. It has been observed that moderate drinkers tended to have fewer strokes in their body compared to those who don’t drink.

The ideal beer for the benefit would be any beer that is rich in iron, niacin, riboflavin, etc. In general, it would mean that any beer would do, given that they all contain the vital nutrients that were just mentioned. This however, should also take into consideration the amount of alcohol that is present, with a lesser percentage of it being the better pick to go with.

On Consumption in Moderation

In addition to this, another important thing to consider is the issue of quantity. It doesn’t matter what you are consuming, for everything is poison in large quantities. It is for this reason that there is a quote that goes, “Anything in excess is poison …” And indeed, this is certainly true. Anything that you overindulge in, in any manner, will have detrimental effect on your health. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with your health per se.

On the contrary, it can be other things like your time, peace of mind, sense of wellbeing, financial stability, etc. The point here being that whatever you do in life in excess, will always have a negative effect in one way or another; which brings us to the subject of moderation, where one engages in the object of our interest in moderate quantities.

At the end of the day, what matters more than anything else, is moderation as opposed to anything in specific. It is the only way to truly ensure that one stays healthy in the long run.