One may not like a beer belly, but it is just not possible to deny that if ever there were a belly which is not entirely hazardous to health it had to be a beer belly. Before I start blabbing about the health benefits of beer in a pompous and bombastic manner as if I had unveiled a lost treasure, it needs to be mentioned anything consumed in plentiful or in an inordinate amount is harmful, and so is beer. Drinking beer (or any alcoholic beverage for that matter) in an excessive amount may eventually lead to liver and/or kidney dysfunction. Short term effects of consuming beer in plentitude include lost mental awareness and lowered visual acuity which together makes driving after beer intake not only hazardous but also fatal. Long term effects include weight gain as one glass of beer may contain anything between 150 to 450 calories depending on the brand. Also, consumption of beer by pregnant women can prove to be fatal for the unborn child who may get poisoned by the beer which it can receive through the umbilical chord.

Besides the above mentioned hazards, beer is not such a bad drink to consume. In fact, latest research shows that splurging on beer may actually protect your heart from strokes and your arteries from hardening. Studies suggest that drinkers have less fibrinogen, a protein that stimulates heart strokes.

Beer is also a rich source of magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, protein as well as vitamins B, B2 and B6. In fact beer increases vitamin B6 content in the human body by 30% while wine and gin does so only by 15%. Beer is basically water brewed and mixed with a little alcohol. Both the brewing and the alcohol kill bacteria present in water.

Besides its cardiovascular and anti-cancer effects, beer is also said to be beneficial to senile people in more than one ways. Firstly, beer if consumed in a moderate quantity is believed to prevent mental impairment of elderly women. Secondly, it aids in maintain mineral density of bones which have a tendency to become thinner with age. Thirdly, it promotes urination, blood circulation and blood vessel dilation all of which are common problems of the elderly. Lastly beer acts as a soporific agent and induces sleep.

As mentioned earlier, beer can be a blessing if consumed in a moderate amount. The key here is the quantity of beer one decides to take into their body.