Guess What . . .
Beer Is Good For You
Up north, we've known it for centuries, and finally the scientists
are catching up with the fact that Beer Is Good For You.
4th November 2000
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Beer Historically
    In mediaeval  England, beer was part of the staple diet of most common folk. Women, children, babies, everyone drank beer because it was safer than drinking water. The water of the time was often un-drinkable, and unless from a mountain stream, was highly likely to cause stomach bugs, food poisoning or death. Beer on the other hand is boiled and fermented, which kills water borne pathogens, and additional ingredients and alcohol, ensure that microbial bacteria won't last long. Even today beer is a safer drink than water, milk or soft drinks!
    The beer in the days before coopers and their barrels, would have been flat, because they didn't have pressure vessels and it would have been alcoholically stronger which ensured a longer shelf life. However, English beer from 1000 - 1400 was excellent, and was widely exported, and said to rival wine in clarity, colour and strength. It was often spiced with herbs to give it a memorable flavour.
Steve in B.X. in 1990 with tired glasses
Heart
    It has been known for generations that the mediterranean diet of tomatoes, olive oil and red wine lends itself to a strong heart and a long life. Modern science and population statistics can tell us exactly which lifestyle choices, foods and drinks are best for coronary health and circulation. And some of the most up-to-date evidence shows that moderate drinkers of beer are less prone to heart attacks and strokes than heavy drinkers and tea totallers.

Protective Properties
    It has been found that alcohol goes some way to preventing the build up of fat on artery walls, and therefore delaying or preventing heart attacks, strokes and other vascular problems. Related to this fact is the effect alcohol has in reducing clotting, and breaking down existing clots.
    Additional research has concluded that a moderate alcohol intake may have an antioxidant effect, which makes arteries less prone to damage, and possibly decrease insulin levels in the blood, resulting in the breakdown of stored dietary lipids.

Beerfood
    Beer is a surprisingly nutritious product. It contains significantly less sugar than soft drinks, and the fat content is negligible. It is a good source of readily available calories for a sporty lift. And many low alcohol beers are in the Isotonic range, and are often used as sports drinks. The beer belly is no such thing, and leads to a misconception among the ignorant public.

Vitabeer
    Beer is an excellent source of the vitamins, niacin, pyridoxine and riboflavin. But is deficient in thiamine, this is a drawback as it is used to metabolise carbohydrates.

Beerminerals
    Minerals can be found in useful quantities as well, especially magnesium and potassium, which has a beneficial effect on blood pressure. There is a low ratio of sodium to potassium which is also beneficial.

New Evidence For Brainy Drinkers 9th -Dec-2000
    Boffins in Japan have found that moderate drinkers have higher IQ levels than tea-totallers. Research at the National Institute for Longevity Sciences tested 2000 people between the ages of 40 and 49. They found that the usual tipple didn't affect the results at all. And that the IQ point advantage due to booze was slightly more pronounced in men.
    Suggestions relating to these results include chemicals such as polyphenols, which have antioxident properties, may be dilating constricted arteries, and helping with blood flow in areas of the brain.

Asian Allergy 1st Jan 2001
    While we in Europe were making beer and wine to purify water to make a suitable and safe drink, in China and other parts of Asia they invented tea. Eventually, because Europeans drank lots of alcohol, they got used to this poison and became over generations genetically selected to be able to drink lots of it without becoming too ill.
    Meanwhile in large parts of China and other east asian regions, where the people only drank tea, the population, still to this day, has a high percentage of people who are intolerent to alcohol. They can only drink a half of beer before feeling dizzy and light headed. This isn't drunkedness that they are experiencing, it is genetic intolerance to alcohol, which hasn't been bred out of the population. If these people lived in London, in the middle ages, they would die of thirst, as drinking any water in the City would have killed them, and beer would make them extremely ill.

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