Drinking beer may actually have some health benefits. Other than the stress relief often associated with enjoying a "cold one," research suggests that some of the ingredients in beer might actually improve your blood serum cholesterol. This, in turn, can improve your circulatory health and decrease your chances of heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. However, too much beer can have very negative effects.
HDL and LDL Cholesterol
Health science identifies two kinds of blood serum cholesterol: LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, clumps in your bloodstream and makes your heart work harder. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, cleans your blood of contaminants including HDL. Your body produces LDL when you eat saturated fats and HDL when you eat unsaturated fats.
Beer and Fat
Beer contains no fat of any kind. Its calorie load is a combination of carbohydrates, including sugars, and alcohol. Because it contains neither saturated nor unsaturated fats, beer has no direct affect on stimulating your body to produce cholesterol.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides aren't technically lipid cholesterols, but they are a substance closely related to cholesterol, directly tied to circulatory health and included in your doctor's measures of your cholesterol level. Your body makes triglycerides whenever you experience the kind of sugar rush you get from eating simple carbohydrates such as the sugars in beer. In this way, beer can have a negative effect on your cholesterol count.
Alcohol and Cholesterol
The Harvard School of Public Health reports that alcohol seems to decrease your body's production of harmful LDL lipoproteiin, even in the presence of a diet high in saturated fat. Original studies found this effect in red wine, but a 2002 University of Western Ontario study suggests that all alcoholic beverages have this effect. The effect isn't as strong as eating a diet low in saturated fats, but is measurable for people who drink as little as a single glass per day.
Bottom Line
Beer may help keep your cholesterol at a healthy level, if you consume it in moderation. However, its sugar content may raise triglyceride levels enough that you should check with your doctor before drinking beer if you are already being treated for high cholesterol.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willett, et. al; 2004
- CDC: About Cholesterol
- Imaginis Womens' Health: Beer May Be Good For Cholesterol Levels
