Beer fights heart disease

Beer fights heart disease: official

Excellent news

More good news for those of you who like a swift pint or two: beer doesn't just fight cancer and make you clever but also blocks "interferon-gamma-induced chemical processes".

This is a good thing, trust us, because what the Innsbruck Medical University team behind this revelation has shown - in layman's terms - is that beer offers a resultant anti-inflammatory effect which may have a "beneficial impact on coronary heart diseases".
More specifically, in vitro tests on peripheral mononuclear blood cells demonstrated that beer extracts blocked the effects of said interferon-gamma - "one of the most important messengers in inflammatory response and mainly produced as part of the cellular immune response".
To cut right to the chase: "Beer extracts inhibit, among other things, the production of neopterin and the degradation of tryptophan by suppressing T-cell response."
The team notes that "this suppression might be connected with the calming effect of beer since its normalising effect on the tryptophan balance improves the availability of the 'happiness hormone' serotonin".
Agreeably, the alcohol content of the beer is irrelevant, although lead boffin Professor Dietmar Fuchs inevitably cautioned that the potentially beneficial effects discovered "must of course be weighed against the negative effects and dangers of drinking alcohol".
Fuchs added: "The effects could indeed be observed on extracts of alcohol-free beers. Our findings must, therefore, not be understood as an encouragement to drink alcohol."
You can find the Innsbruck team's research abstract right here. ®

That's funny, I took it as encouragement to drink alcohol - beer especially. However, that may just be me - I take everything as encouragement to drink a beer.

It's a little known fact that very few heavy beer drinkers die from heart disease. Cirrosis usually gets us first.

Cheers. On my 2nd IPA, lets stroll out to the kegerator and have just one more

I've heard that one or 2 oz. of alcohol (or 1 or 2 beers) is good for you so why are they saying that the beneficial effects discovered "must of course be weighed against the negative effects and dangers of drinking alcohol"?
.

I think they're saying that although beer is good for you, if you have one or two, drinking fifteen or sixteen is not. So I stop at seven. Halfway between good for you and bad for you.

RichBrewer said:

I've heard that one or 2 oz. of alcohol (or 1 or 2 beers) is good for you so why are they saying that the beneficial effects discovered "must of course be weighed against the negative effects and dangers of drinking alcohol"?
.

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Quick anecdote:

I'm getting a physical a couple years ago. I'm in my 40s and pretty fit and not overweight. He asks me (he's not my doctor anymore, BTW) if I drink: I answer (very honestly) that I have one or two beers or other drinks on a near-daily basis, but rarely more than that. In other words, I am the textbook moderate drinker. He's got my chart right in front of him that says I an 5-11, about 185.

He asks, "Has that ever gotten you into any trouble, you know, like DUIs or anything?"

Hello, McFly? A DUI from one or two beers a night?

The only possible conclusion is that he assumed I was lying about my level of consumption.

And that, I think, is the anwer to your question. Some people just don't believe that it's possible (because it apparently isn't, *for them*) to be a moderate regular drinker.

Man, people have a problem believing that a habitual heavy drinker can't stay out of trouble. Never had a DUI, been arrested, or had any relationship problems due to my drinking. On the Liver Transplant List right now. I'm #34, right behind Sudster.

On the upside, I do notice reduced join pain after a beer or two. My back usually kills me all day. After a couple of homebrews in the evening, the pain tends to lessen or even go away all together.

Old age is hell, unless you have beer.

David,


Got a link to the original article? All I see is one to the abstract. I'd like to pass this along....

I always knew beer fought sobriety like a champ, now heart disease too? Beer must be some sort of magical elixir. I think I'll fight twice as hard tonight

Whenever I start 'getting after it' with a few HB, I notice a painful buzzing in my ears. Anyone else have this sensation? The funniny thing is, it's only there if SWMBO is near. Go figure.

You're just hearing the call of the Super-Bee, Cheyco. And damned if I'm not too!

Sasquatch said:

You're just hearing the call of the Super-Bee, Cheyco. And damned if I'm not too!

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You canucks just crack me up.

I swear I'm movin to Houston, BC, just so I can host the first annual all hoser hbt.com meetup.

Absolutely good for the heart, amongst other organs!!

This thread prompted me to do a literature search, and look what I found in the Canadian Medical Association Journal:

"Until now, red wine has been the cardioprotective beverage of
choice, but the convenience and lack of adverse effects make beer a more
cost-effective, safe and widely available choice...In
view of its effectiveness, low cost, acceptable adverse-event profile and the
fact that it is available in convenient single-dose dispensers, beer should
replace red wine as the cardioprotective beverage of choice."

Now that's what I call science. To see their "methods", check out figure 1 in the article [http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1229887&blobtype=pdf]

El Pistolero said:

You canucks just crack me up.

I swear I'm movin to Houston, BC, just so I can host the first annual all hoser hbt.com meetup.

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Careful around there, that's banjo-pickin' country.

How do you compliment a girl from Houston BC?

Nice tooth!

Cheyco said:

Careful around there, that's banjo-pickin' country.

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Well then, they probably need a good fiddler too...tho maybe they'll settle for me.

No, like "Squeal like a pig!" type banjo-pickin' country.

Cabbage-headded cousin-F(_)ckers. Ya know?

Lots of funny stuff in this thread.

When I had my heart attack the Dr said that 2 beers a day was good for you. Other Drs say if you drink 3 beers a day you're an alcoholic.

I've always defined alcoholism on a NEED A BEER versus a WANT A BEER basis.

He asks, "Has that ever gotten you into any trouble, you know, like DUIs or anything?"

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Reason he asked (not that I agree with it) is according to medical terms if you consum on a regular basis you are an "alchoholic". It's BS but the health nazi's make the rules in this case I guess. Ever go to a AA meeting or read a pamphlet from them (I had to for a bit while I was in the Navy . . . LONG dumb story)?

It's rediculous.

• a beer or 2 a night - 1 with a meal and 1 for the hell of it
• plan your drinking - god forbid you decide who is designated driver
• get drunk - or ever got drunk
• binge drink - I swear more then a thought is bing drinking
• look at a beer - if you saw it you must have wanted it
• ever thought of having a beer - cant think of anythng else eh?
• were in the same room as a beer - you were gonna see, think about, and then drink it
• know what beer is - you musta been looking for it cuz you need it right?

. . . you are an alchoholic

That tears it. From now on it's homebrew for breakfast and I'm gonna live forever.
WOO HOO!