New Year's Beer

According to a study undertaken by John Folts, a professor of medicine and director of the coronary thrombosis research laboratory at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, dark beer appears to be healthier than light because it can help prevent blood clots.

Dark beer is rich in flavonoids, which act as antioxidants and prevent cholesterol and fat from oxidizing in the blood. Dr. Folts says, "It's about color. You can see the flavonoids in products on the shelf." He cites red wine, which is known to be more heart-healthy than white wine, as well as purple grape juice, which is better than white grape juice.

Dr. Folts already has enough volunteers for his current study, in case you were wondering. For the study each volunteer drinks two bottles of dark or light beer a day and results already show that darker beer is more useful in fighting blood clots than lighter beer. Dr. Folts also stresses that beer is more useful when consumed with meals as it can actively fight the free radicals released during the body's metabolization of food.

Resources:

WebMD highlights and discusses the findings of this study.

Beer may have other health benefits as well, protecting against major ailments such as heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and dementia.

Red wine is also believed to be beneficial, particularly for the heart. But critics claim that perhaps wine drinkers' longevity is the result of other aspects of their healthy lifestyle, rather than the wine itself.

December 27, 2003