Forget Milk, say Researchers, Beer is Nature's Perfect Food.

Essay by typhusJunior High, 8th gradeA+, March 2006

download word file, 2 pages 3.7 3 reviews

It's an advice from some of the nation's top researchers, who have found that a beer a day can help with the most common health problems, including cancer, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

And it can help you strengthen your bones and even help you lose weight.

Red wine has been advertised as a healthy beverage, but recently researchers have found that beer is more than just washing down pizza. In fact, some suggest beer is better than wine because it contains important disease-fighting compounds that wine doesn't have.

According to Dr. Bud Weiser, a professor at University of California Los Angeles, beer a day can raise levels of good cholesterol by 5 to 10 percent and provide antioxidants that fight against disease-causing radicals.

In addition, vitamin B in beer can help control blood levels homocysteine (known to increase the risk of heart disease).

The advantages to the heart and blood vessels are believed to prevent age-related mind disorders, known as Alzheimer disease and general dementia.

There is also very strong proof that a beer a day can help ward off certain kinds of cancer.

Researchers at University of Southern California found that the hops used to make beer are toxic to nearly 60 different types of cancer cells, including those responsible for cancer of the breast, colon and ovaries.

"Hops are rich in xanthohumol, a powerful plant compound that stops cancer cell growth in as small as six days," explains Paula Barley, PhD, DVM.

In addition, studies have shown that risk of Type II diabetes is deducted by one-third to one-half among reasonable beer drinkers when compared to nondrinkers.

The key to enjoying the wholesome benefits of beer is to drink regularly, doctors stress. This means no more than one beer a...