Quitting alcohol is a noble goal with measurable benefits to your health.A paper was published in british medical journal A month without alcohol was found to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and lower cholesterol levels, while reducing the amount of a cancer-linked protein in the blood. According to the campaign's organizers, Alcohol Change UK, 70% of ex-alcoholics say they sleep better and – crucially in today's UK – more than 85% save money.
So what about a growing body of research showing that, in the right doses, beer can rival wine as a super-spirit? As a source of antioxidants, with more B vitamins than the trusty red glass that long-lived Mediterraneans swear by, a cold beer in the fridge is a somewhat complicated proposition. Is this a blessing or a curse?
The answer, of course, is a bit of both, and moderation is key.recently published in Journal of Agricultural and Food ChemistryThe test subjects drank more than 300ml of beer a day – about the same amount as a small can of beer – for four weeks, with no adverse effect on their heart health or body weight. At the same time, the bacterial diversity of their gut microbiomes improved significantly. As a key determinant of human health, “friendly” gut bacteria have been linked to strong immunity and faster weight loss and regulation of muscle mass and function.
All of this means there's nothing to feel guilty about grabbing a beer after get off work. But if you do want to quit drinking this month, just switch to a non-alcoholic drink, which the same study found could be just as beneficial. This is your turn, we believe.
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strong brew
The benefits of your low or no ABV beer go beyond clearing your mind for tomorrow morning's meeting.
01 / SecondOunces come back faster
Researchers found that drinking non-alcoholic wheat beer reduced inflammation in marathon runners and helped them recover after the race.
02 / Off the edge
In one well-known study, test subjects experienced a decrease in anxiety levels, possibly due to the relaxing effects of hops and the amino acid lysine in 0% ABV beer.
03 /smallSweet dream
Spanish researchers have found that moderate consumption of non-alcoholic beer improves sleep quality, in part due to the sedative effects of hop resin.
