INFOGRAPHIC
Is Beer an Anti-Aging Supplement?
In this infographic, we reviewed the literature on moderate beer consumption within the context of a healthy lifestyle. We found moderate beer consumption can have significant anti-aging effects.
In summary, moderate beer consumption:
- Protects you from cardiovascular disease.
- Reduces your mortality risk.
- Increases your bone Density.
Scroll below to read more or read the full article and sources here.
How does Beer Improve your health?
Cardiovascular Health
The evidence suggests that moderate beer consumption protects you from cardiovascular disease (1). Importantly, this holds true for both men and women (1).
Mortality
More good news for lovers of beer! It turns out that moderate beer consumption reduces your overall risk of mortality (1). Again, this observation is true for both men and women.
Metabolic Health
Beer consumption is traditionally associated with obesity. Think of the iconic beer belly. However, consuming moderate amounts of beer does not increase the body weight of obese individuals (2).
In fact, moderate beer consumption ‘significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)’ (2). This increases cholesterol movement out of cells and may reduce plaques forming within your blood vessels (2).
Bone Health
To my surprise, moderate beer consumption was shown to increase the bone density and reduce the risk of fracture in men and women (3).
Beer is rich in nutrients
Low-to-moderate alcohol consumption has several proven health benefits(4).
These include increasing your levels of good fats (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), reducing the stiffness of your arteries, and lowering your levels of oxidative stress and inflammation(1).
Beer is rich in nutrients such as amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols(1).
How much beer should you drink to reap its health benefits?
Too much beer (or any other form of alcohol) increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death(1).
For women, moderate consumption means drinking one beer per day(1). For men, moderate consumption means drinking 1-2 beers per day(1).
Cramming your weekly volume into a single drinking session is absolutely NOT OK.
This is because binge drinking significantly increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and dying young(1).
Can moderate beer drinking increase your life expectancy?
Analyzing data from over 100,000 men and women revealed that moderate alcohol consumption increases the life expectancy of men and women(4).
In conjunction with other healthy lifestyle choices (such as never smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet), a 50-year-old woman can increase her lifespan by an average of 14 years, and a 50-year-old man by an average of 12 years(4).
Beer in moderation = Anti-Aging
Alcohol consumption must be moderate for you to enjoy the antiaging effects of alcohol.
Three independent studies conclude that moderate alcohol consumption, particularly when consumed within the context of a healthy lifestyle, can increase your lifespan (1, 4, 7).
These include: never smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet.
Read the full article and references to learn the current evidence on moderate beer consumption and it's effects on aging.