Beer May Benefit Heart Health

Women who have a drink of beer once or twice per week have a significantly lower risk of heart attack, compared to heavy beer drinkers and women who never drink beer. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, followed 1,500 middle-aged women from 1968 to 2000, with the aim of investigating the relationship between the intake of alcoholic beverages and the incidence of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Results showed that over the 32-year follow-up period, 185 women had a heart attack, 162 suffered a stroke, 160 developed diabetes and 345 developed cancer. Data analysis revealed that women who reported drinking beer once or twice per week to once or twice per month had a 30% lower risk of a heart attack than women who drank beer several times per week/daily or never drank beer. Thus suggesting that moderate consumption of beer seems to protect women from heart attacks. However, the study also found a strong link between the consumption of spirits and cancer risk – women who reported a high consumption of spirits (defined as more frequent than once or twice per month) were almost 50% more likely to die from cancer, compared with those who drank spirits less frequently.