New: A Beer a Day Keeps the Blues Away, but Moderation Is Key
By Ward ClarkMy late father, as wise a man as ever lived, was fond of repeating an old caution: "Moderation in all things." Well, I was fond of retorting with Barry Goldwater's famous saying, "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." But Dad wasn't talking about liberty and justice, of course.
Moderation is a good idea when it comes to things like adult beverages. But it turns out that beer, enjoyed in moderation, can actually be good for your heart. Who knew?
Some research suggests that moderate beer drinking may support heart health, specifically by increasing good cholesterol in the blood, explains Destini Moody, R.D., the founder of The Athlete’s Dietitian and an expert on the panel of Garage Gym Reviews. Moderate drinking, by the way, is defined by the CDC as one drink per day or less for women and two drinks per day or less for men.
Well, that CDC definition leaves me out. I don't drink a lot of beer these days, not so much because of the alcohol, but rather the carbohydrates; a guy my age has to watch that waistline. I do have two beers - no more, no less - with my lunch at the lodge every week. Other than that and a snort or two of whiskey before bedtime, that's about my limit these days.
Here's the kicker:
Drinking beer regularly can be part of a balanced lifestyle, but moderation is key, says dietitian René Ficek, R.D., owner of Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating. “Consuming beer in moderation can fit into a healthy diet, but daily consumption isn’t recommended for everyone, especially those with certain medical conditions or those taking medications that interact with alcohol,” she says.
But what about our mental health? There's an apocryphal quote, often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, stating "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." A cold glass of Alaskan Amber makes me happy. Isn't that good for one's health, too?
Of course, wine has cardiac benefits, too, if that's your favored tipple.
Moderate wine intake as part of a Mediterranean diet has been associated with several cardiovascular benefits, despite ongoing debate about the overall health benefits of drinking wine and alcohol in general.
The research team decided to look into the relationship between wine and overall health, for both biological and chronological age.
Here's what they found:
Men who consumed wine at levels consistent with the Mediterranean Diet (approximately 125 to 500 milliliters per day) showed slower biological aging compared to abstainers.
The strongest effect of biological aging being reduced was observed after roughly one to two glasses, by approximately 0.34 years.
Biological aging is one thing. Depriving yourself of something you enjoy in moderation is another.
Plenty of folks like a glass of beer or wine, or a snort of good whiskey every now and then. Like a good cigar, these are some of the finer things in life, to be enjoyed in moderation. Like the cigar, they can be harmful if taken to extremes. But I've always reckoned that if my enjoyment of a beer or two now and then may shorten my life by 0.34 years, then I'll keep on enjoying those beers. Life, too, is something to be enjoyed, after all.
Oh, and I'll decide what is "moderation" for me. Not some finger-wagging CDC scold.
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