Drink your Guinness. It's good for you.
 

Nov. 11, 2003 (Orlando, Fla.) -- The real beer argument is not "Tastes great" vs. "Less filling." It's dark vs. light, and the winner, according to a University of Wisconsin heart researcher, is dark brew because it can help prevent blood clots.

John D. Folts, PhD, professor of medicine and director of the coronary thrombosis research laboratory at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, tells WebMD that dark beer is rich in flavonoids, which have powerful antioxidant effects.

"It's about color. You can see the flavonoids in products on the shelf," he says. The rich flavonoid content makes red wine more heart friendly than white wine and purple grape juice a better choice for toddlers than white grape juice, he says.

Folts presented his dark beer-light beer study at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2003. Folts and his colleagues fed dark and light beer to dogs that had narrowed arteries in their hearts, similar to the narrowing observed in people with heart disease.

Only dogs fed dark beer had less stickiness of their blood clotting cells, says Folts. This was true even though the blood alcohol level in the dogs was the same.

He says he is currently conducting similar tests in humans. In that study, volunteers drink two bottles of either light or dark beer a day. Early indications are that dark beer again is more active at fighting blood clots than light beer, he says.

"We are also testing purple grape juice and non-alcoholic red wine," he says. In each case, the dark beverage demonstrates superiority to light colored beverages.

Are Flavonoids the Key?

Valentine Fuster, MD, PhD, director of the cardiovascular institute at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, says he is not convinced that flavonoids add anything to the already well-known heart protective effect of alcohol. "We know alcohol works," he tells WebMD. In order to prove that flavonoids add anything to the alcohol benefit, human studies are needed.

Also, Fuster, who was not involved in the study but who has studied the relationship between alcohol and reduced risk for heart disease, says all alcohol studies should be approached with caution. "There is always the risk that the data will be misinterpreted and people will consume too much. Any more than two drinks a day is too much."

For those who are dark beer drinkers -- or drinkers of red wine or purple grape juice -- Folts says they can gain the maximum heart benefit by "drinking these beverages with meals" so that they can fight the increase in free radicals that occurs when the body begins to metabolize food. Free radicals trigger oxidative stress, which has been linked to heart disease and inflammation, says Folts.

I sent this to my boyfriend. He will be very happy to hear it.

Hey.... I was being healthy last night;)


Interesting fact: WW2 in the British military medical system, Guinness was given to paitents (1 pint a day).

True... also true for a while after WWII, and not just in the military. My mother practiced medicine in the UK for a while, and she tells me that she would often see on patients' charts, "One pint Guinness, hours of sleep." (i.e. give the patient a pint of Guinness at bedtime.) Alternatively, the patient could be offered a shot of whiskey.

Now I want a Guinness... and I'm low-carbing... :(

woohoo!!

Gots' to find me a good place to get a Black and Tan this weekend.

Kitso
KS 361

Am I at all surprised that this study took place at my school? :D

My family and I went to Ireland on vacation a couple of years ago (we were there for about a week). You honestly can't walk around any corner anywhere in the country and not run into a Guinness ad. The funniest thing about all of this is that most of the ads include phrases like: "Guinness for strength!"

Maybe it wasn't just marketing propaganda.

:D :p

when my mother was expecting me, she lost weight and got very sick. The doctor told her to drink a pint. It did the trick. :p

I have had Guinness a few times before, and it is delicious. I also know that it has healthy benefits. So do other dark beers, red wine and dark grape juice. It is good to know these things!

The last time I went to Buenos Aires, I had some dark Quilmes (Argentina's famous brand of beer) and it was great.


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Wow. I can't imagine any doctor givingg that kind of advice :eek:

As the Dude says, "Guinness is more than a drink...it's a way of life."

Well Guinness has a lot of iron and calories, and she was in desperate need of both. I know that doctors have told pregnant friends that they can drink a glass of wine once in a while. The alcohol content is comparable. Anyway, it is a true story.

My mom's doctor told her (late 70s/early 80s) that she could have a glass of wine once a week. My sister's doctor (mid to late 90s) said twice a week. :)