According to scientists of the Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Italy, drinking moderate amounts of beer daily could reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 25%.
The researchers reviewed more than 150 studies and concluded that drinking up to two 600ml glasses of beer a day for men, and half that for women, could have a beneficial effect on heart health.
They also found that drinking those amounts daily made no difference to people’s chances of getting dementia, cancer or other diseases.
However, Britain’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, disagrees with the research. She recently issued new guidelines that recommended limiting alcohol consumption to 14 units a week. A unit is 25ml of whisky or 250ml of beer.
Davies said: “Do as I do when I reach for my glass of wine – I think: ‘Do I want the wine or do I want to raise my risk of breast cancer?’ I take a decision each time I have a glass.”
The study was published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease.
S.O.Z