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Beer Is Good For You, Says Science! The Perfect Excuse For Another Pint.

Pub lovers of Britian rejoice, for new research shows our favourite hops-filled drink might actually BENEFIT our health. We take a look at whether there's any truth to this revelation.

We're all about the healthy eating here at Yahoo Lifestyle, which is why we were more than a little bit sceptical when research promoting the health benefits of beer landed on our desks.

So, in the spirit of giving everyone a fair trial, we decided to look a little bit deeper into these recent claims.

What the Scientists Are Saying

Dr Stephan Domenig, medical director of The Original FX Mayr Health Centre in Austria has said: "Beer containt all of the essential - and many of the non-essential - amino acids."

The doctor continued: "If you analysed beer, you'd be amazed at how many super nutrients are in it."

This Isn't Actually News

Yahoo Health published an article some time ago, delineating the good properties of everyone's favourite hops-filled drink.

We wrote about the silicon content - which is linked to healthier bone-density and we discussed a 2011 study of more than 200,000 people which showed a 31 per cent reduced risk of heart disease in those that knocked back a pint of the good stuff daily.

Other news outlets are, this morning, celebrating beer for its low-sugar content.

Contrary to popular perception, beer contains just one sixth of the amount of sugar found in a glass of orange juice!

The Yahoo Health article also suggested that beer could lower the risk of developing kidney stones by 40 per cent AND could boost brain health!

Wahey, pass us another pint then!

Beer For Weight Loss?

Dr Domenic also lauded beer for it's weight-maintenance properties.

He said: "Drinking beer increases the production of bile, which helps us to digest faty food."

Let's Not Get Carried Away

However, as with all things that sound too good to be true, this story has a pretty hefty caveat.

The phrase "everything in moderation" could not be more fitting for this occasion.

By and large, these health benefits only apply if beer is consumed in relatively small quantities - one 12 ounce serving for women and two for men.

After that, all the good properties pretty much go out of the window.

For example, while a little beer - in particular, pale ale - might help your bone density, more than a couple of drinks will actually INCREASE your risk of fractures significantly.

😩

Yep "Beer Bellies" Are Still A Thing

The idea that beer might help you lose weight is basically a myth.

There might be a bit less sugar than a can of coke, but your average beer has between 140 to 200 calories in it.

Plus, alcohol of any kind causes you to burn less fat - beer causes your liver to produce a substance called acetate, which your body burns instead of the stored fat on your hips and belly.

Call The Doctor

Dr Domenig might be pushing for more pub visits, but that's not the mindset favoured by many others in the medical profession.

New advice is currently being considered by British GPs which could help them to single out those suffering from alcohol dependencies, during routine check-ups.

If you regularly consume more than six drinks in one sitting, or you can think of an alcohol fuelled embarrassing incident, which occured within the last year, you could soon find yourself at the top of the doctor's watch list.

So, stick to light beers, put down that second pint and keep up with the salads and exercise, because beer-guzzling isn't going to be the answer to all your health needs any time soon.

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What's your favourite beer? Let us know in the comments!