Good News: Beer Has 8 Unexpected Health Benefits

We all know that drinking too much alcohol can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, liver cancer, alcoholism, and cirrhosis.

However, as WebMD reports, "If you drink it in moderation, beer can have health benefits."

So, how much beer should a person drink?

According to WebMD, you should keep it to a minimum. "Limit yourself to no more than one drink per day for women, two drinks per day for men."

Keep scrolling to see exactly how moderate amounts of beer can have a positive effect on your health!

Drinking a beer may have the potential to help out your heart.

According to Men's Health, "Italian researchers found that moderate beer drinkers had a 42 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to nondrinkers."

However, the researchers go on to say that you should limit your beer drinking "to one pint a day."

When it comes to keeping type 2 diabetes away, few people think about beer.

However, as Lifehack.org writes, "Multiple studies have shown that beer drinkers had an approximately 30 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes than test subjects who abstained."

Excessive drinking has been proven to have negative effects on the heart and blood pressure, but drinking a single beer may just do the opposite.

Men's Health writes, "Beer can lower your risk for hypertension, research suggests.

"In one study, Harvard researchers found that moderate beer drinkers are less likely to develop high [blood pressure] than those who sip wine or cocktails."

While most people assume that beer kills brain cells, one specific compound found in beer may actually protect the mind.

According to Shape.com, "Compounds in hops [which are found in beer] may protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, according to a new study."

They go on to say it "may slow the development of neurodegenerative diseases."

As we get older, our bones may become weaker and more susceptible to breakage. However, drinking a beer may actually strengthen them.

Beer professional Anthony Martin suggests "beer for stronger bones!

"A 2009 study concluded that the elevated levels of silicon in beer can contribute to higher bone density."

Gallstones can be extremely painful, but drinking a beer may lower the risk of developing them.

Lifehack.org writes, "Beer drinking is associated with a reduced risk for gallstones, according to the Mayo Clinic.

"Gallstones are made up of cholesterol, bile, and other things that cause pain in the stomach. No one wants to deal with that."

Good news for those worried about cataracts: drinking a beer may stop them in their tracks.

According to the Telegraph, "Cataracts are formed when the mitochondria of the eye's outer lens are damaged.

"Researchers at the University of Western Ontario found that the antioxidants found in beer, particularly ales and stouts, protected against mitochondrial damage."

Last, but certainly not least, beer has been shown to keep away strokes.

The Telegraph writes, "Studies by both Harvard Medical School and the American Stroke Association have shown that people who drink moderate amounts of beer can cut their risk of strokes."

These eight health benefits of drinking moderate amounts of beer may be surprising. But for those who enjoy drinking a beer every once in a while, this may just come as very welcome news!

Did these health benefits come as a surprise to you? What do you think of the unexpected effects of beer? Let us know in the comments.

Please SHARE this fascinating information with anyone who loves drinking a beer every now and then!