Guinness is good for your health
If you’re taking a baby aspirin a day to reduce the risk of heart attack, you may want to switch to a pint of Guinness instead. A new study that gave stout to dogs with narrowed arteries, similar to people with heart disease, found that the beer reduced blood clotting. The same benefits were not derived from the dogs that were given lager.
When Guinness was first introduced to the public it was marketed as “good for you.” It was even recommended for pregnant women. (Of course, it is no longer recommended today.) It turns out the old slogan was at least partially true. Researchers who conducted the study feel that Guinness was more beneficial than lager because it is enriched with antioxidants. The antioxidant compound in Guinness is similar to compounds found in certain fruits and vegetables.
While Guinness might have a leg up on the competition, other beers are not far behind. Alcohol, no matter what form it’s in, is known to have anti-clogging properties and was recently found to reduce the risk of dementia. Furthermore, as any beer lover can tell you, barley is one of the primary ingredients in beer. Often found in health food lines like Kashi, barley is known for promoting intestinal and cardiovascular health. Of course there are dangers to drinking too much alcohol, so as with everything else, moderation is the key.