Research Shows Beer Is Good For You — Like, Really Good For You

BlutarskyTFM11 years ago

I’ve never really been big on doing healthy things. Actually, now that I think about it, I pretty much only do unhealthy things. My whole life plan revolves around the hope that there will be a cure for all the bad things I’m doing to my body by the time I get into my fifties. If any of the stuff I like doing, such as eating red meat, smoking cigars, and drinking bourbon, were good for me, I’d be the healthiest sonofabitch out there. The problem for me, and for many of you, is that the majority of stuff that is good for you straight up sucks. It turns out, however, that that’s not entirely true.

Xanthohumol, a chemical that is only found in hops, has been identified as possibly having preventative qualities when it comes to neurodegenerative disorders. What does that mean? Well, in short, beer can help you keep your mind sharp. Seriously.

Hops have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, but now researchers believe they may protect brain cells from oxidative stress, which is believed to be a cause of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. That’s not all, though. Xanthohumol also has shown signs of aiding in cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, and anti-inflammation. It even has antiviral properties. My grandpa always said that beer was good for the soul, but damn. It seems like it’s good for just about everything.

Obviously, too much of a good thing can hurt you, but it seems to me like beer may be something doctors need to start prescribing to their patients for daily use. It’s a damn miracle drug. It’s making me wonder, though. What else can beer do?

What if it’s like the pill from “Limitless” or the drug from “Lucy”? What if beer can start making me use parts of my brain I’ve never had control of? I don’t know if it’ll have that effect, and it likely won’t, but there’s only one way to find out.

Here’s to good health..

[via Beverage Daily]