Beer: most people love it, some live by it, and others associate many unforgettable memories with it. A cold bottle of beer can be what kicks off a new friendship, a romance, or even just a wild night. You can’t deny that liquid courage can craft some of the greatest stories you will ever tell!

Although you can probably thank a glass of beer for helping you shoot your shot at someone completely out of your league or book your first vacation this year, did you know that there’s much more to it than experiences? 

For the longest time, beer has been regarded by the majority of health buffs and conservative researchers as a drink that poses quite a few health risks. In fact, some people have even referred to it as the “drink of death”! Widespread beliefs and “facts” have been shared in millions of articles and shared posts, creating an unnecessary heightened fear of the beverage. The truth, however, is that it is a lot healthier than you might think! 

Recent studies have shown that beer, when consumed in moderation, provides an abundance of benefits for a drinker’s overall physical and mental health, ranging from stronger bones to boosted immunity! 

The health benefits of beer you need to know about

Before you take a pass on the next trip to the local watering hole because your brain is screaming “unhealthy!”, here are a few health benefits to keep in mind: 

Health benefit #1: Beer helps protect your heart 

When the topic of the “healthiest alcoholic drink” arises, chances are that wine is what pops into your mind. After all, an occasional glass of vino has proven its ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Although wine is undeniably great for the heart, researchers have discovered that a glass of beer may strengthen your ticker as well! 

According to a study conducted by researchers on the relationship between beer and heart health, moderate beer drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease by 42 per cent in comparison with non-drinkers. The recommended dosage of beer for a healthy heart is one pint of a 5 per cent A.B.V choice every day, so get to drinking if you want to live longer! 

Health benefit #2: Move over, Einstein— beer enhances your brainpower! 

One benefit of drinking beer that rarely comes to mind is that it helps to optimize your brainpower. We can’t deny that people don’t always make the smartest decisions after a few bottles, but when enjoyed in moderation, beer can help tremendously with boosting your creativity and spatial reasoning! 

Case in point: In one study, researchers grouped 40 men together and made half of them consume a pint of beer while watching a movie and solving a puzzle. The beer-drinking group experienced a creativity boost, allowing them to solve the puzzles a few seconds faster than their non-beer-drinking counterparts.

Health benefit #3: Beer helps to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes

A common misconception that people associate with beer is that it can render drinkers vulnerable to all types of health conditions and diseases—type 2 diabetes, for one. According to a study conducted by Dutch researchers, however, the link between an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a pint of beer couldn’t be any farther from the truth—in fact, it’s quite the opposite. 

When Dutch researchers studied a pool of non-beer drinkers who had picked up the habit of regularly drinking beer at a moderate pace, they discovered that their risk of contracting type 2 diabetes lowered over time. 

Health benefit #4: Beer can work wonders for your kidneys

If you’ve been struggling with passing kidney stones for a while now or are deathly afraid of finding yourself in that situation, then read this carefully: beer can help with reducing the development of kidney stones.

Researchers in Finland discovered that every bottle of beer that is consumed daily helps with lowering the risk of developing kidney stones by as much as 40 per cent. The benefit can be attributed to the fact that drinking a bottle or two of beer helps inhibit more trips to the bathroom, keeping your kidneys in shape through regular function!

The next time you feel like heading out for a bottle, remember that modern science proves that beer (in moderation) actually helps your body instead of harming it. By keeping these beer-related health benefits in mind, you won’t have to worry about treating yourself to an occasional pint of beer!

If you’re looking for a fun to way to learn more about beer, join us on a beer tour in the Geelong area and see how we can help!