which do you believe?

[TipsyDragon]

I dont know about anyone else but I usually have at least 1 beer every day. this got me thinking. i vaguely remembered hearing about a beer a day being good for you so i did some quick googling. this is what i found... conflicting information


a beer a day is good for you

a beer a day is bad for you

 

[snevey]

Considering the "Beer a day is bad for you" study was done by Canadians, I'll just toss that out...

 

[Arneba28]

Beer increases the risk of esophogele cancer by 83%. Maybe that test group were all smokers? If beer contributed that much to cancer then MADD would of beer all over that ****. And the fact that this article is canadian is suspicious, but thats only because I am in the service industry and naturally dispise non tipping canadians

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Considering that Canadian beer equals Molson Ice I find BOTH articles to be emphatically accurate true.

Real beer is good for you.

Canadian Molson is bad for you.

 

[HBHoss]

I believe homebrew is good for you and BMC is bad for you. But then I am biased.

 

[stageseven]

I'm currently putting together a study proving that intake of oxygen is the main cause of cancer. 100% of test subjects placed in an oxygen-free environment were found to have died of causes other than cancer. Additionally 100% of subjects who died of cancer were found to have been exposed to large quantities of oxygen.

I always take these medical findings with a grain of salt. Without very strict controls over sample groups and testing methods, it's entirely too easy to skew results to support whatever you want to find. And a survey of 3600 men in one specific city is hardly a good sample group.

Still though, neither of the findings seem to be mutually exclusive. I find it entirely plausible that regular intake of beer could be good for your heart and bad for other organs. Still not going to stop me from drinking beer

 

[frazier]

The real culprit of course is Dihydrogen Monoxide.

 

[TipsyDragon]

The real culprit of course is Dihydrogen Monoxide.

it is a principal ingredient in may toxic substances.

 

[JayInJersey]

I've been a telling people I'm not fat but rather experiencing a severe allergic reaction oxygen for years.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

it is a principal ingredient in may toxic substances.

Not to mention the ones in September and November.

 

[ForRealBeer]

Beer makes you happy.
Being happy makes you healthy.
Therefore beer is good for you.

But...everything in reasonable moderation.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Beer increases your chances of falling over.
No beer ensures yo will remain standing.
Beer increases your chances of falling over and grabbing a booby on the way down.
No beer means no boobies.

 

[GRHunter]

Considering the "Beer a day is bad for you" study was done by Canadians, I'll just toss that out...

That pretty much sums up what I was about to type.

 

[david_42]

Way too much evidence on the moderate consumption side. Part of it is just cultural. One med I'm on says moderate alcohol consumption (FIVE drinks a day) is fine. A very similar drug says NO NO NO. The difference?

The second drug is from an American company, the first one is from France.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Both are true.

Dark or unfiltered beer, especially homebrew is GOOOOOD for you.

Budweiser sucks the joy out of your life, one can at a time.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

The real culprit of course is Dihydrogen Monoxide.

Inhalation may prove fatal
Can cause severe burns in its gaseous form
Over consumption CAN kill you

Enough to scare me away. I'll stick to

 

[Pierce]

Danger 2nd year medical student advice....

There's a lot of literature out there about a glass of wine a day being good for you. This is due to several things. The antioxidants are helpful in ridding the body of toxins, and the alcohol helps reduce stress on the heart (ie. it relaxes you). The diuretic effects will prevent kidney stones.

However, chronic alcoholics have much higher risks of lots of bad things (I know that's a technical sentence, but please try to keep up ) For example, esophageal cancer, acute pancreatitis, blah blah blah. Obviously MAJOR LIVER PROBLEMS in chronic alcoholics.

So the question is...what constitutes an alcoholic? The technical answer is 3-5 drinks or more in a single sitting. (so I just make sure to go to the fridge between drinks [please pick up on the sarcasm])

Personally, I drink a, yes just one, beer a night. Its part of the winding down process. Three or more and "blah, blah, blah" bad stuff starts to happen.

 

[Sigafoos]

You can find scientific evidence to prove any theory you want on this subject

One of the only good parts in the book Fermenting Revolution was the chapter on beer and health towards the end. The author cites a bunch of studies, including conflicting ones.

So the question is...what constitutes an alcoholic? The technical answer is 3-5 drinks or more in a single sitting. (so I just make sure to go to the fridge between drinks [please pick up on the sarcasm])

Isn't there some sort of duration component too? I've had more than 3-5 beers in a night but I'm not an alcoholic. Most nights I only have one, with the occasional 0 or 2 night (and then there are club meetings). But the 'what is an alcoholic' topic is for another thread that will go downhill quickly and so I'll just leave it alone.

 

[Pierce]

Isn't there some sort of duration component too? I've had more than 3-5 beers in a night but I'm not an alcoholic. Most nights I only have one, with the occasional 0 or 2 night (and then there are club meetings). But the 'what is an alcoholic' topic is for another thread that will go downhill quickly and so I'll just leave it alone.

You're absolutely right on both parts, duration and whole other thread. But briefly, we use a thing called the CAGE questionnaire which includes several criteria for the screening of alcoholics. I can't name them off the top of my head but quantity, frequency, and dependency is what it boils down too. Screening is however the key word. Its a tool to know if further investigation is needed.

Sigafoos, if I saw you in the clinic I probably wouldn't worry about a thing as long as the rest of the physical looked good.

Trust me there were many a nights in undergrad that I polished off far more than just a six pack. Truth be told, I still have those nights they're just far more spaced out. Friday is our last exam of second year, and I can guarantee I'll have more than 3-5 that night.

 

[Shooter]

I'm currently putting together a study proving that intake of oxygen is the main cause of cancer. 100% of test subjects placed in an oxygen-free environment were found to have died of causes other than cancer. Additionally 100% of subjects who died of cancer were found to have been exposed to large quantities of oxygen.

I think you're on to something with this!