Is Healthy Beer?

Beer is the third most popular beverage in the world after water and tea. This drink is also known to be the oldest drinks and had made long before recorded history. Although beer can be intoxicating but have touted the health benefits.

The nations in Western countries is a true beer drinker. It was almost no activity that does not involve beer, ranging from watching the ball, play cards, get together, get together at the bar, barbecue party, and other special events.

In general, the beer is made from a mixture of water, rice or wheat grains, fruit and yeast. Brewing beer-making process is called. The process begins by soaking wheat seeds to germinate (malted) and then heated to produce the sugars and flavor. Some brewers sometimes use rice or corn and using the extra fruit, herbs and spices to produce a unique flavor.

The next process is to mix the seed sprouts, grains that are not heated in water. The resulting sugars and starch solution and then poured and fermented to produce beer. Clarity of the color of beer depends on the level of roasting. The color of dark beer that comes from wheat that baked until slightly darker.

Alcohol content in beer is not so much compared to other liquor, like vodka or whiskey. Alcohol in beer varies between less than 3 percent to 40 percent (by volume) depending on the type and manufacturing techniques.

Make healthy

Although classified as liquor, but various studies show beer, like wine, if consumed in moderate doses can be healthy for the body. Basic ingredients of beer making is a source of carbohydrates, B vitamins and potassium.

"The scientific evidence says alcohol, whatever kind can increase levels of good cholesterol and reduce heart attack risk by 30 percent," said Eric Rimm, ScD, a researcher from Harvard University.

He also said alcohol can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of diabetes. Because beer also contain high enough fluids, beer consumption also reduces the risk of kidney stones. In small doses of alcohol also can make blood circulation more smoothly.

Even so need to be considered a healthy dose of beer, ie no more than two doses. The recommended dose is 12 ounces (equivalent to 1.5 cups) of beer each day.

"Excessive consumption may eliminate health benefits of beer and increase the risk of liver disease, cancer, cirrhosis, kecandungan alcohol and obesity," says Rimm, committee members Dieteray Guidelines 2010.

He also suggested that beer is not consumed by high-calorie foods, including small meals (snacks) that are usually available when watching sporting events or chatting casually. Source: http://www.kompas.com; http://www.webmd.com