Health And Wellness Center: Is it healthy to drink beer?

With Irish beer is celebrated on March 17 worldwide St. Patrick's Day.
Benefits of beer

Several studies show the benefits of drinking beer for our health, and more specifically for the prevention of cardiovascular, bone and neurodegenerative diseases.

If you are an athlete, you can choose to have a beer after training. While it is not advisable to use it for the sport as a form of hydration (alcohol abuse can alter various bodily functions and compromising the health and performance of the athlete), occasionally, after sports, you can choose a beer for rehydrate, as the percentage of alcohol is relatively low. Beer for sport units releases glucose into the bloodstream gradually, causing a moderate glycemic peak. Furthermore, it is 94% water, contains vitamins and minerals that restore electrolyte balance after losing minerals by sweating, similar to those found in an isotonic drink.
Beer lowers blood pressure. Studies show that moderate consumption reduces cardiovascular risk. A day can help raise levels of HDL, the so-called "good" cholesterol that helps prevent clogged arteries.
It has a very low sodium level, a chemical that too much can cause strokes, kidney problems, osteoporosis, cancer or cardiac disorders. WHO recommends that sodium intake is less than two grams per day. By implementing it, beer contains only nine milligrams of sodium.
It contains vitamins and folic acid. The beer has more than 2,000 components thanks to its ingredients. They are a good source of vitamins, especially B vitamins called, responsible for regulating the nervous system and cell regeneration.
Prevents aging. By having natural antioxidants, it could help reduce oxidative phenomena responsible for aging.

Responsible consumption

On the other hand, who has not heard the expression "You're throwing beer belly"? It's not completely true. While having alcohol add calories, it is not the only cause of belly grows, much of the blame lies with the cover we had with her. The beer and the covers should be somewhat sporadic in our diet, and not something usual. We must have a balance and follow a healthy and occasionally enjoy a beer and a lid, power sparingly. Eating a daily beer is a "very small" percentage of the recommended (remember that is 2000 Kcal. For women and 2500 for men) daily caloric intake, therefore we can say that beer is not to blame for problems obesity.

Barley, the main ingredient of beer

Barley belongs to the family of grasses. It is a cereal containing gluten, a protein to which intolerant people with celiac disease. A nutritional level, barley contains more than 50% of carbohydrates, proving to be a good source of energía.Además, has relatively high levels of protein compared to other cereal grains. It stresses its content in B vitamins, and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium or magnesium. Although barley is best known for its use in brewing, also we can be found in breads, muesli, combined with other cereals. In addition, barley provides more fiber than other cereals.

Celiac patients should opt for gluten-free beer. Most are made with barley, but beers are also made from other different grains like wheat, millet, rye, oats, corn, etc.

There are two types of beer without gluten:

Those made without gluten (buckwheat, millet, quinoa)
The made from grains that have gluten, but the final product contains a level of gluten well below the 20 ppm required for gluten consider. Overall its gluten content is about 5 ppm. It should be noted that products with seal FACE (The Federation of Associations of Celiac Spain) can have up to 10 ppm.