The Bellierub....
........on the health benefits of beer
Have another beer everyone! A recent study conducted by scientists at Heidelberg
University in Germany and reported by Reuters in London has stated what Beerbellie
followers have known all along. Alcohol can be a benefit to your heart! There is alcohol in
beer, so the connection can easily be made. Beer can be good for your heart. The study
involved patients who have had surgery to repair clogged arteries. They evaluated
patients to see which ones experienced re-narrowing of the arteries after surgery. Those
patients who drank little or no alcohol experienced more return blockage, higher
cholesterol levels and poorer heart function than those who consumed moderate
amounts of alcohol every week. They were also more likely to have additional heart
procedures to re-open their arteries.

The numbers were quite impressive. Forty-two percent of the little to none drinkers
required additional angioplasty. Only twenty-three percent of the moderate drinkers
required a repeat procedure. This study falls in line with the data collected and reported in
"The New Beerbellie Diet and the Search For A Six-Pack.".

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Western Ontario concluded
that just one beer provides a noticable increase in antioxidant behavoir similar to that of
red wine. Antioxidants are known to fight free radicals in the body that are linked to a host
of health problems including: heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The dark beers are
better  than lighter ones for the increased antioxidant levels.

There have been many studies conducted over long periods of time that have reported
similar findings. A Harvard study  followed 80,000 nurses and resulted in the discovery
that those who drank in moderation had a lower mortality rate than those who did not
drink. Another study involving 88,000 people over a ten year period arrived at a similar
conclusion. Moderate drinkers were 27% less likely to die in that time frame than
non-drinkers. A Honolulu Heart Study found a 49% reduction in heart disease for men
who drank in moderation. Of course they did...it's Hawaii, man. Nobody wants to check
out early there.

Alcohol may benefit the cardiovascular system by:

- Increasing coronary blood flow
- Reducing blood insulin levels
- Reducing blood pressure
- Increasing good cholesterol (HDL)
- Reducing bad cholesterol (LDL)
- Reducing blood clotting

Obesity is on the rise in many developed countries and it carries many health risks with it.
Maybe beer can help. Researchers have discovered that alcohol can raise metabolism
significantly. This causes the body to burn most alcohol calories first and not store it as
body fat. Researchers also discovered that in some instances, if carbohydrates or fats
are replaced with alcohol calories, a person can experience a certain amount of weight
loss. However, each gram of alcohol contains 7 calories. Too much alcohol can result in
too much of a person. In other words, "Mister Booze can be bad news."

"The New Beerbellie Diet and the Search For A Six-Pack" explores
this research and others like it. The book interprets the various studies as it sees fit and
uses them  to its' advantage when it is convenient. This is no different than the endless
number of supplement companies who take limited clinical data and manipulates it to
their advantage.

And there in lies the difference between them and us............ At least we fess up to it !!

That's The Bellierub on........the health benefits of beer.
Copyright © Beerbellie Inc. 2008 All rights reserved.