Beer is Good for You

I couldn’t help but share this amusing article from Yahoo.com’s Shine - Healthy Living Section, titled “5 Surprising Health Benefits of Beer”.

I am not a beer drinker and, just like the article aptly phrased it, surprisingly knowing that beer has some good health benefits, I wish that I can drink beer (especially for benefit # 4 below). It’s a pity that I am allergic to any beverage that has alcohol content. I know that wine is good for the health too but what can I do. Well, of course, all of these good benefits can be obtained in moderation intake of these alcoholic beverages. Anything excessive is not good.


Photo Credit: Wikipedia.org

What are these 5 surprising benefits of beer that were mentioned in the article? Here it is:

1. Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

Like red wine, it is said that several studies show that moderate beer drinking can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The alcohol content of beer can increase HDL or good cholesterol levels. It also reduces the chances from happening of the two main contributors to heart attacks, i.e, the hardening of the arteries and thickening of the blood.

2. Drink Your Vitamins

It has been found in a study that beer drinkers had 30% higher levels of Vitamin B6 in their blood than non-beer drinkers. Vitamin B6 is beneficial in treating health problems related to heart, skin, depression, fatigue, nervous system, metabolism, anemia and arthritis, among others.

3. Avoid Kidney Stones

Another study on the risk of kidney stones conducted to middle-aged beer drinking men has shown a decrease of 40% compared to non-beer drinkers. The article mentioned that it couldn’t be determined though which component of the beverage was responsible for the drop, but the evidence of benefit had impressed the researchers.

4. Help Women Age Better

It is quite pleasant to know these facts from the studies conducted on the benefits of beer to women, such as: moderate alcohol consumption assisted in preserving the mental faculties of older women, alcohol can help preserve bone density, and some natural form of hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women was also found. Wouldn’t you wish hard you can drink beer when you can’t?

5. Prevent Cancer

Cancer is a dreaded disease and it is always comforting to know that the risks can be prevented or reduced. Early studies show that a compound found in hops, the main ingredient of beer, may help inhibit certain enzymes that can trigger cancer.

To read the full article, please visit Shine Yahoo.com

Refreshing Mocha Frescato

I was half hour early for my business appointment earlier today at Business Central Towers in Jebel Ali, Dubai. The temperature outside was very hot (around 40 deg. celcius!) so I welcomed the situation as an opportunity to have time for refreshment at Costa Coffee in the same building where my meeting was while I was killing time.

I would’ve liked to drink an iced cold lemon tea at that moment, unfortunately, they only serve hot tea so I ordered mocha frescato instead.

What's a frescato you might ask? Frescato is an ice blended drink. It's ideal for a cool summer drink which can be fruit or coffee-based.

I like bittersweet taste so I like my coffee to have enough cream and sugar in it to make it tastes bittersweet. That's why when I go to coffee shops, most often than not I would order mocha drink whether it's cold or hot, although I sometimes crave for hot chocolate especially during winter months. I like mocha because its coffee and cocoa mixed into one.

What about you? Are you a coffee drinker? Do you like it with cream and sugar or plain black coffee?