Every year, a large number of people around the world consume beer. Beer is basically the most popular beverage among people. In 1998, Americans spent a total of 60 billion dollars to brew 196 million barrels of beer, with an average consumption of 22.2 gallons per person.
I. Discussion on the Nutritional Value of Beer
The discussion on the health benefits of beer started in the spring of this year. At that time, members of the animal welfare organization launched a campaign against drinking milk, with the slogan "Do you drink beer?" The campaign initially advocated against mothers driving after drinking, but later college students praised the nutritional value of beer compared to milk.
Animal welfare organization officials admitted that the true purpose of this campaign was to draw attention to the plight of cows used for commercial purposes. To convince people to support their argument, animal welfare organization officials used medical research results to show that beer is not a harmful beverage to the body.
II. The Dual Nature of Drinking Beer
Many medical professionals do not agree with the analysis of the animal welfare organization, but Dr. Morris Chafetz, Chairman of the Washington Health Education Foundation, is an exception. He believes that the effects of beer and other foods on the body are no different. It has potential benefits as well as potential drawbacks. Chafetz said, "I don't believe that abusing any substance, including water and oxygen, is beneficial to health. I have been researching in this field for 40 years, and my research covers all over the world. In the end, I still believe that moderate use is beneficial to the body."
Chafetz does not advocate for everyone to go home and drink beer, but he believes that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages such as beer can reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke. Moreover, moderate drinking can also solve some social problems and alleviate the depression of many elderly people.
III. Alcohol can Resist the Formation of Atherosclerosis in Coronary Arteries
For many years, researchers have believed that red wine contains flavonoids, antioxidants that can resist the formation of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries. But now, some medical professionals believe that all alcoholic beverages have this effect.
A study by Harvard Medical School found that drinking one to two glasses of alcohol a day can reduce the incidence of heart disease by half. This result is unrelated to the type of alcohol consumed, whether it is red wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages, the effect is the same. This study was led by Dr. J. Michael Gaziano, who believes that alcohol can increase the level of high-density lipoprotein in the body, thereby maintaining vascular patency and preventing the formation of atherosclerosis.
Chafetz said that some doctors speculate that people who drink red wine appear healthier than those who drink beer because of their different drinking habits. The study found that people who drink red wine like to drink one to two glasses of red wine every evening, rather than excessive drinking. But people who drink beer are just the opposite, they may drink little or no alcohol throughout the week, only preparing for excessive drinking on Fridays. The study by Harvard Medical School pointed out that heart disease patients should not drink alcohol specifically for their health problems, but there is also no medical necessity to quit drinking.
IV. Moderate Consumption of Beer
Kathryn Cortes, a nutrition expert from the Divine Health Network, believes that this is a personal choice issue. Moderate consumption of beer will not harm personal health, but people need to be careful not to indulge in beer. Beer contains beneficial vitamins for the body, but before deciding to drink large amounts of it, people must also consider the negative effects of beer. Beer is made from fermented grains, so it contains rich B vitamins. A 12-ounce beer can provide 9% of the daily requirement of vitamin B6 and niacin, and niacin helps protect nerve tissue. Beer also contains chromium and phosphorus, trace elements that can keep the body's metabolism healthy and balanced. Although beer has the above benefits to the body, the alcohol content in beer still affects the body's absorption of certain B vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium. Therefore, regular drinking or excessive drinking of beer can cause malnutrition and a series of problems such as nerve damage.
V. Drinking Beer Only Increases Weight Problems
Dr. Janelle Walter, a professor of family and consumer science at Baylor University, believes that there are many foods that can provide the nutritional content of a 12-ounce beer. But alcohol cannot be digested in the stomach, and this substance, which is considered toxic by the body, is processed by the liver, so excessive drinking of alcohol can lead to cirrhosis. Beer has no medical effect, even if it does, it is not the effect of alcohol. In fact, the main ingredient in beer is water.
Drinking excessive beer can cause dehydration because the body uses a lot of water to remove alcohol. 11% of beer is alcohol, and each can of beer contains 150 calories. Each gram of alcohol can produce 7 calories, compared to 4 calories for each gram of carbohydrates and 9 calories for each gram of fat. This means that if you reduce the amount of beer you drink, your waistline will also shrink. But for Americans, getting enough calories from food is not a problem, so drinking beer only increases weight problems. According to research by the animal welfare organization, beer does not contain fat and cholesterol, but milk contains a large amount of fat, with 20mg of cholesterol in 8 ounces of milk. Each can of beer also contains half a gram of fiber, 12 milligrams of sodium, and a complex of 3 grams of carbohydrates.
Whether people accept it or not, beer can indeed make many people feel good, just like Prozac and aspirin. Abusing beer or other alcoholic beverages is a personal problem, not a substantive problem. Just as when a young man jumps off a building to commit suicide, we should not ask why the building was built, but why he wanted to commit suicide.
