Study finds beer can boost heart health

A new study from researchers at Harokopio University in Greece has found a daily pint of beer could be good for your heart.

The researchers found that blood flow to the heart improved within a few hours of drinking a beer. The study also found that non-alcoholic beer did not provide the same benefit.

The study, which was published in the Nutrition Journal, looked at “17 healthy, non smoking men” and measured their heart health after drinking 400ml of beer. The researchers also conducted the same tests after the men drank non-alcoholic beer and vodka.

The results found that “endothelial function was significantly improved only after beer consumption”. Endothelial refers to a thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.

The published conclusions of the study added: “Beer acutely improves parameters of arterial function and structure, in healthy non-smokers. This benefit seems to be mediated by the additive or synergistic effects of alcohol and antioxidants and merits further investigation.”

The study is the latest to find positive health benefits from moderate beer consumption. The Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that beer can help reduce the chance of developing kidney stones, while researchers in Japan found that beer can help combat cold-like viruses.

A recent report by nutritionist Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan also labelled the beer belly a myth.