The debate about the dangers and benefits of beer continues. Skeptics try to prove its harm, and those who like to drink a glass of foamy drink, on the contrary, claim that it is harmless and even healthy. The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle. I propose to consider this issue from different points of view.
First, let's look at the benefits of beer. There are several interesting points.
1. Perfectly quenches thirst. Beer is more than 90% water and contains minerals and carbon dioxide. Thanks to this, the foamy drink quickly quenches your thirst. IN hot weather many people like to drink a glass of beer, there is nothing wrong with that.
2. Relieves stress and irritability. Beer can have a positive effect on the nervous system, allowing a person to quickly relax. One or two bottles can relieve spasm of the heart vessels. In no large quantities beer helps with insomnia. That's why many men like to sit with friends in a pub and drink beer at the end of the work week. This way they relieve the stress that has accumulated during the working week.
3. Contains useful substances. In addition to B vitamins (beer contains vitamins B1, B2 and B6), it also contains iron, copper, phosphorus, calcium, silicon, magnesium and amino acids important for the body. This promotes metabolism and improves overall well-being.
The healthiest beers are unfiltered beers that have not been pasteurized.
4. Antibactericidal effect. Alcohol, proteins and essential oils the composition of beer kills pathogenic bacteria, tuberculosis bacilli and even cholera vibrios. Therefore, beer can be used to prevent infectious diseases.
5. Diuretic and laxative effect. In small quantities, beer is good for the kidneys and liver. In many Austrian clinics, urological diseases are treated with beer. It is prescribed even when urolithiasis. But this should be done by a specialist; doctors do not recommend treating yourself with beer.
Beer is also useful for women in preventing breast cancer. Malt and hops contain phytoestrogenic and phenolic acids, which are natural antioxidants. Some German doctors began to prescribe beer to women after 48 years of age to strengthen bones, considering it an excellent source of calcium.
Beer is good only in moderation with the right snack. In turn, uncontrolled beer consumption leads to alcoholism and overeating, since carbon dioxide irritates the walls of the stomach and increases appetite. Therefore, you need to snack on beer correctly, monitoring the amount of food you eat.
Attention! Self-medication can be dangerous, consult your doctor.
Since ancient times, it was believed that beer improves appetite, accelerates growth and physical development, and improves health. That’s why they once gave it to even small children.
Doctors medieval Europe This drink was widely used to treat various diseases. It was prescribed for exhaustion, kidney and bladder diseases, bronchial asthma and insomnia, and skin problems.
During the cholera epidemic, beer was the main preventative measure. And, oddly enough, its anti-cholera properties were later confirmed by science. In the experiments of Robert Koch, the German microbiologist who discovered the causative agent of tuberculosis, Vibrio cholerae actually died when treated with beer.
Modern researchers also pay tribute to the strengths of this drink. Although they explain that today’s beer differs in composition, taste, color, and effect on our body from the product that people brewed and drank Ancient world and the Middle Ages.
So, what can food experts and doctors say about today’s drink?
● Beer is high in potassium and low in sodium, so it can be drunk in moderation by those who suffer from hypertension and are forced to limit their salt intake.
● Beer contains a lot of vitamins B1 and B2, and they are present there in a form that is easily absorbed. One liter of this drink will provide 40–60% of the daily requirement for thiamine (B1) and riboflavin (B2).
● Beer is rich in ascorbic acid; it is added to this drink to prevent oxidation processes. The same liter will give you 70% of the daily dose of vitamin C. And to meet the daily need for nicotinic and folic acids, it is enough to drink only half a glass.
● Citric acid, which is part of beer, stimulates the formation of urine in the body and thereby prevents the appearance of kidney stones.
● Phenolic compounds of beer are the most valuable components of this drink. They prevent the formation of blood clots, normalize lipid metabolism and, therefore, protect us from heart attacks and strokes.
● Carbon dioxide contained in beer stimulates gastric secretions and blood flow in the muscles, liver, lungs and kidneys. In addition, it does not allow us to drink this drink in one gulp and thus prevents us from quickly getting drunk.
● Hop extractives have a sedative and hypnotic effect and have bactericidal properties.
● And at the same time, beer puts a strain on the venous system, on the heart, which in a passionate beer drinker is forced to work in an increased mode, with overstrain. As a result, it increases in size - the so-called “beer heart” develops.
Radiologists call this phenomenon “nylon stocking” syndrome. The heart “sags”, becomes flabby, and has difficulty coping with its functions. And since everything in the body is interconnected, not only cardiac disorders develop, but other organs also begin to suffer.
● After a couple of glasses of beer, a substance is released in the male body that suppresses the production of the main male sex hormone - testosterone. As a result, female sex hormones are more actively produced. Plus, plant analogues of female hormones – phytoestrogens – enter the body from hops. If this continues for many years, the man’s pelvis becomes wider and the mammary glands enlarge.
● In women, a few years after the start of beer abuse, the likelihood of developing breast cancer increases.
● There is a myth that beer increases lactation. It arose in those days when they drank homemade low-alcohol beer, not much different from kvass. But if a mother who is breastfeeding her child drinks modern factory beer, she can cause irreparable harm to the health of her baby.
● We, inexperienced consumers, consider beer to be a high-calorie drink. This is wrong. It is lower in calories than milk, soda or fruit juice. Another thing is that beer stimulates appetite and makes us eat more than we need. Probably, thanks to this property, in ancient times beer was considered a “winter” drink, and thanks to it, beer lovers are usually overweight.
● The calming effect of beer has a downside: a person gets used to such a sedative and after some time without a bottle he can no longer relax or rest.
“So can I drink it or not?” – a reader who is completely confused by us will ask. “And if so, what dose is considered safe?”
"Can!" - we will make him happy. But it's all in the measure. And this measure is a MAXIMUM - one liter per day. A liter of beer of regular strength (ethyl alcohol content 3–5%) will deliver about 40 g of ethanol into the blood. This is the limit of alcohol that should be consumed per day. This means that if we are not talking about the maximum permissible dose, but about the average norm, it is better to limit yourself to 0.5 liters of beer per day. But all these calculations do not apply to beer with a high alcohol content - up to 12%. Its use in these quantities is already fraught with toxic consequences.
Russia is a heavy drinking country. And despite the fact that we have one of the most high levels alcohol consumption per capita, we drink the least beer. Our average per capita consumption of this drink ranges from 17–26 liters per year. Compare: in Finland, Hungary, and Great Britain they drink 80–120 liters per year per average person; in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Germany - more than 120 liters. At the same time, countries with a “northern” type of alcohol consumption, where people drink mostly strong alcohol, gradually switch to weaker ones, including beer. Maybe this is our path too? Still, beer is a less dangerous alcoholic drink than vodka and is less likely to cause addiction.
Beer is a favorite drink, of which a large mass of the population is passionate fans. Both women and men love amber hops. There are not even tens, but already hundreds of thousands of varieties of this alcohol. Among ordinary people, especially ale fans, there is a widespread opinion about the usefulness of this alcohol.
Of course, no one cancels beer alcoholism and the various health problems that this alcohol brings with it. But there are also beneficial properties of beer. This fact has been confirmed by some scientists. But hops exhibit their beneficial properties only with moderate consumption. When it comes to alcohol, there is too fine a line between its benefits and harm.
Beer in moderate doses can also be beneficial for the body.
The birthplace of beer, the oldest alcoholic drink in human history, is traditionally considered to be the lands of Germany. In Bavaria at archaeological excavations Pottery used by ancient brewers was discovered. It was from those areas that the art of brewing hops spread to many countries.
Since ancient times, barley was cultivated specifically for the purpose of creating fragrant ale.
Residents of the Middle Ages successfully used this drink to treat allergies and heart ailments.. Beer was even given to small children to combat their exhaustion. Ale also helped with various problems with the urinary system; they even tried to treat plague and cholera with it.
IN modern world there are few producers left who make beer according to old recipes
Hops indeed in that distant period were glorious and healthy drink. But times go by and everything changes. In the modern world, some types of beer no longer fall under the definition of “healthy”.
The technology for producing modern hops has undergone a lot of changes. Now the glorious amber hop is no longer considered a harmless drink, carrying people good and beneficial. In many cases, a person, “getting hooked” on aromatic beer, earns himself the status of “beer alcoholic.”
In order to thoroughly and accurately find out whether beer is good for health, you should first of all understand that the alcohol included in this drink a priori cannot be beneficial. When talking about the benefits of beer, one can only take into account the quality of the original barley malt, which is still preserved in some types of modern beer.
When talking about the benefits of beer, experts talk about a “live” drink created without the addition of artificial colors, preservatives and flavors.
During its production process, this drink does not undergo (unlike pasteurized) the purification stage: pasteurization and filtration. This product has a minimum shelf life and is sold immediately after the end of the technological process.
Silicon contained in beer is beneficial for bones
Most often, “live” beer is sold on tap, but it can also be found in a “bottled” version. Moreover, the container is sealed immediately after the end of the fermentation processes. This drink meets the three “no” rules:
“Live” hops contain only natural ingredients (yeast, malt, hops, and sometimes artesian purified water). Only by looking at this drink can one judge whether drinking beer is healthy. It is the components of natural hops that can actually bring some benefits to people, of course, provided that they are consumed in moderation and safely.
In finished hops natural production contains a whole Klondike of vitamin and mineral reserves, which are extremely important for the healthy functioning of the body. These are the following substances:
If we compare amber aromatic (and directly “live”) hops, then in terms of its level of usefulness it ranks on par with natural orange juice. This unique composition of beer can really be beneficial and help cope with some diseases and negative situations related to health.
“Live” beer is considered the healthiest
Among the healing abilities of ale, scientists highlight its beneficial effects on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Hops also actively stimulate the development and growth of the body, have a calming effect on the nervous system and stabilize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Natural beer has the following abilities:
Having studied such an impressive list of beneficial properties, some people will probably say - it’s wonderful, if beer has such talents, then why not drink it now all the time, healing and putting the body in order? This is the greatest misconception.
Interesting facts about beer
Any beer, even non-alcoholic beer, contains ethanol. The strength of the intoxicating drink depends on its concentration.
Ethanol is a poison that can destroy even a hefty list of beneficial qualities instantly. Remember that in the case of beer (even “live”), one tiny step leads to the abyss filled with numerous problems from alcohol.
Beer, even “live” and even in ultra-small doses, is strictly contraindicated even if a person has any chronic diseases. This drink is only good for healthy people and in moderate doses.
In the world of medicine, there is the concept of a “standard portion of alcohol.” This is the amount of alcohol that 10 g of pure ethanol contains. As for beer, this is how much ethyl alcohol is contained in 250 ml of drink. According to WHO, the daily dose of alcohol safe for health is:
In terms of aromatic ale, this amounts to 700-750 ml for a woman and a liter of hops for a man. Moreover, it does not matter whether this volume is drunk immediately or divided into several sittings.
What does a “standard” dose of alcohol mean?
Doctors advise drinking alcohol (if you have absolutely no strength to give it up) no more than 4-5 daily doses per week.
The permitted and considered safe dose of alcohol per year is about 800 standard doses. Based on these data, you can calculate the amount of beer. On average, you can consume a little less than 4 liters of aromatic hops per week.
Many representatives of the weaker sex use various vitamin complexes. Surprisingly, all such “beauty pills” contain almost all the components of hops. Speaking about how beer is good for women, it is worth mentioning the huge supply of vitamins in this drink. In particular, group B, which:
This is definitely important for women. After all, being attractive is a natural desire. But what to do during pregnancy and lactation? At this time, you especially want to look good.
During pregnancy, drinking any alcohol-containing drink is strictly prohibited. Even at a weak strength and in a minimal dose. This ban also applies to beer.
But the benefits of hops for a nursing mother is a controversial issue. After childbirth, when a woman’s hormonal levels change dramatically, problems with the condition of her skin and hair are actually noted. The phytoestrogen contained in ale can help cope with this problem.
Beer may also be useful in other applications
But, using more reasonable arguments, let us remember that beer is an alcoholic drink, and hops will not bring any benefit to a baby whom a woman is breastfeeding. But it will add to health problems. Do not forget that beer is eliminated from the body for quite a long time, and in the body of a nursing mother, everything that she eats or drinks goes into the milk.
Therefore, we can draw an unambiguous conclusion - during pregnancy and breastfeeding, relaxation with beer is prohibited. The only thing you can do to please yourself is to use hops as a base or component of various masks for external use on the face and head. Even when used in this form, beer can improve the condition of the skin and hair.
The miraculous abilities of amber hops are truly unique. But what should people who lead healthy image life, but want to experience the benefits of beer for themselves? Especially for these cases pharmaceutical industry created a drug called "Brewer's Yeast".
This product, available in tablets, is a rich source of all the beneficial compounds that natural beer contains. Brewer's yeast has the following beneficial properties:
Doctors often prescribe the use of this drug for elderly people for prevention, and for athletes to improve the strength and strength of the body. Brewer's yeast is also suitable for children - the drug helps improve the condition of their immune system, and in adolescents of puberty, stabilize the condition of the skin and remove acne.
Brewer's yeast is effective both for internal use and for use as various masks for hair and skin. But it would be a good idea to visit a nutritionist for consultation. After all, when using these miracle pills, a person often experiences an increase in weight (due to stabilization of metabolism and improved appetite).
In order not to stock up on unnecessary fat, when taking a therapeutic course of Brewer's yeast, it is strongly recommended to monitor your own diet. And also engage active species sports.
Brewer's yeast, having an excellent range of substances useful for life, also has some contraindications. This drug should not be used in the following situations:
When using Brewer's yeast, you should stop using various contraceptives, as well as diuretics. Since diuretics can remove from the body all the beneficial microelements and minerals contained in the drug and reduce the expected therapeutic effect to zero.
Beer, a fragrant amber-colored drink, will probably forever remain the most beloved and widespread alcohol. They drank it, they drink it, and they will actively continue to drink it. But one thing can be said - only those people who are able to realize one holy truth will benefit from consuming hops: “Everything is good and useful, but only when moderation is observed.”
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Beer has a long history. The debate about whether beer is healthy continues until today. Many believe that all talk about the benefits is simply a hoax; they are trying to dispel the misconceptions of those who actively praise the qualities of alcoholic products, often without understanding the seriousness of the drink’s impact on the body.
It is clear that you need to talk about the benefits very carefully; the dosage requires attention. There is no exact answer about the norm of its use. It is impossible to know what effect it will have on a person; it is very individual and depends on the situation.
Beer is an alcoholic drink. Created by fermentation. Brewer's yeast combines ethanol, malt or hops depending on the type of species being created. 
Like any alcohol, it cannot be beneficial if consumed in excess.
You can't drink beer every day. It seems that one small glass container of a pleasant, refreshing drink once a day will only benefit a person. No, that's not true.
There is a danger of the body getting used to alcohol even in small doses (drink once a day or a week). It will lead to a terrible disease - beer alcoholism. The disease is dangerous for both men and women. Particularly terrible consequences arise when children and adolescents become addicted.
If you drink beer every day, you can disrupt the functioning of important organs: heart, liver, intestines, kidneys.
Scientists different countries are trying to find an answer to the question about the benefits of weak alcohol.
Among the recipes for treating various ailments at home, there are unique tips using brewer's yeast. 
The use of beer composition has gained popularity among women. They create various mixtures for skin treatment and cosmetic procedures.
Masks and creams are prepared at home using foamy alcoholic liquid.
Simple recipes will help you smooth out wrinkles at home:
Masks help dry oily skin. Elasticity improves, blood circulation normalizes, fat secretion decreases, pores become almost invisible and clean.
Ancient recipes describe how the beer composition was used for the scalp and hair.
Due to the bitterness imparted by hops, a number of medicinal procedures are carried out.
Liquid:
The low-calorie property refutes the myth of beer bellies. The big belly of men, which is always attributed to excessive beer consumption, in fact, has nothing to do with it. He's a consequence sedentary lifestyle life, refusal of sports, preference for socializing over beer feasts.
The hypothesis of kidney benefit is controversial. There is medical evidence proving that the drink has a diuretic effect. That is why the statement is recognized: beer is not harmful to the kidneys. When a drink arrives, it becomes necessary to remove the liquid. This is work for the kidneys. But it is clear that everything should be normal.
You can’t enhance kidney function by oversaturating the body. Positive substances are washed out along with beer residues. They can ultimately lead to kidney disease. Organs begin to wear out. In the same case, when the liquid stagnates, causing a lot of inconvenience to a person, beer will become a natural way to cleanse the kidneys.
Light alcoholic liquid helps to relax, relieve stress and fatigue. A person takes varying amounts of light alcohol per day or week. For men, the norm is very individual. Drinking a glass a day for one may not be the norm for another. Men have different reactions. At making the right choice men’s nerves come to a calm state, sleep improves, diuretic functions are activated, helping the kidneys work.
There is evidence that there is an increase in men’s sexual activity, a pleasant liberation.
The main thing in taking it is to avoid the body becoming addicted. The rest regime should be considered to avoid the desire to drink every day and for a whole week. It can be admitted that beer is good for health, but only if consumed in moderation.
It has been proven by experiments of scientists and doctors that beer is a treasure useful vitamins , first of all - groups B, P, D, as well as minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, etc. And some other substances that have a positive effect on human body.
So, if you drink this drink regularly, but moderately (key word), you have a greater chance of preventing some diseases and even living longer than your peers who do not drink foam. Here are the useful properties:
Its beneficial properties are due to the substances it contains:
You should know that not all types are equally useful. Usually found on the shelves of our stores filtered beer.
It is unprofitable to produce unfiltered because it has very short shelf life, after 10 days the sourness begins to be felt, and after two weeks it becomes undrinkable.
By repeated filtration, all particles that have the ability to form are removed from the beer. At the last stage, particles several microns in size are selected.
Unfiltered also removes foreign matter, but this is done once, so the fermentation products remain in it.
Note. Unfiltered contains 10 times more vitamins than filtered. And its taste is more pronounced, beer-like.
So, if there is such a possibility and there are no contraindications - choose fresh, unfiltered.
As we have already found out, unfiltered beer retains more useful substances, which are not taken away from the drink by force. Therefore, it brings more benefits.
However, for some reason it is generally accepted that it can be safely consumed even by those who have problems with the stomach, intestines, and liver. But this, unfortunately, is not the case. If you can’t have a regular store-bought one, then you can’t do this either. Moreover, unfiltered poses more of a threat compared to filtered in the following cases:
But we also cannot say unequivocally that filtered is bad. It is through filtration that manufacturers manage to extend the shelf life of the product without resorting to preservatives.
Do you also know the taste of dark beer - a little dense, bitter and at the same time sweet and malty? Some people like it and prefer dark varieties. Some people prefer something lighter. But the dark variety has a couple of properties that are not present in the light varieties and they can be useful from a medical point of view:
So think before you switch to dark variety: do you need it? And although the darkest drink contains only 48 kcal and absolutely no fat, an “awakened” appetite can bring a surprise in the form of weight gain.
We also remember to comply with the measures. To replenish iron in the body, it is enough to consume 150-200 ml of dark beer per day for a week.
Non-alcoholic beer is a kind of “straw” that many of those who want to feel the taste of beer, but cannot drink alcohol, cling to. These are people who have given up, drivers, pregnant women, etc. Before discussing the benefits and harms, you need to understand what it is - the same beer, but without alcohol.
If the manufacturer produces it honestly, observing all technological processes, and is not “bodied” from chemical ingredients, then the non-alcoholic one has the same composition as the regular one. But you should not unconditionally believe what is written on the label. Even if it says 0%, this is most likely not the case.
Usually present in the non-alcoholic version up to 0.5% alcohol. That's why:
This is a drink that has not undergone filtration, pasteurization, made according to the right technology from natural ingredients. But you can only be convinced of this if you personally taste the beer.
As a last resort, drink it in a good pub. In this regard, the best is craft beer, produced in small batches. The good thing is that it is truly “alive”, but, unfortunately, short-lived.
Positively influences on hematopoiesis and the cardiovascular system, and also duplicates the benefits that natural foam contains. Therefore, if you have such an opportunity, give preference to a live one. But be skeptical about beer that says “Live” if it has a shelf life of several months.
Don't think that beer is always good for everyone. Moreover, in large quantities.
It not only has a positive effect on internal organs person. Here are some negative points:
And finally, I would like to remember Avicenna, who argued that there is no panacea, just as there is no poison, it’s all a matter of quantity. Therefore, do not exceed the norm, do not drink beer every day, and then it will become, if not a healer, then not an enemy.
Enjoy chatting with friends and having a foamy drink in your glass! And don’t forget to like the article and suggest it to your friends on social networks to read.
