It's true that drinking beer can raise your blood pressure, but in moderation beer may be beneficial for your heart. Most physicians advise their patients with hypertension, or high blood pressure, to reduce their alcohol consumption. Just 1 oz. of alcohol, the amount in 24 oz. of beer, a day has the potential to raise your blood pressure, according to the University of Michigan Health System. If you are a heavy drinker, defined as more than two alcoholic drinks a day for men or more than one drink a day for women, then reducing your alcohol consumption can decrease your blood pressure by up to 4 mm Hg, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Women and Beer
Alcohol consumption affects men and women differently. In the October 2010 issue of "Heart Rhythm," Dr. Stephanie Chiuve writes that women who drink low to moderate amounts of beer daily have a lower risk of developing hypertension than either non-drinkers or heavy drinkers. From 1980 to 2006, Dr. Chiuve and other researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studied data from 83,882 female participants of the Nurse's Health Study II. Since 1976, the Nurses Health Study has been compiling health and nutrition data from female nurses in an effort to better understand women's health. The same blood pressure benefits apply for women who drink wine or spirits. The important factor is not the type of alcohol consumed, but rather the amount, no more than 15g, or the amount of alcohol in 12 oz. of beer, 4 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of spirits. Over the course of the study, 40 percent of the non-drinkers developed hypertension as opposed to 34 percent of women who drank one to two drinks per day and 41 percent of women who consumed more than two drinks.
Men and Beer
For men, the definition of moderation varies slightly. For men, moderation means two 12-oz. beers per day. In the June 2002 issue of "Circulation," a group of Italian researchers published the results of a meta-analysis of 22 studies of beer consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. Six of the studies focused on male beer consumption. Moderate beer drinkers of both sexes had a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than non-drinkers. This may be partially explained by the presence of vitamin B-6 in beer. Vitamin B-6 limits the level of homocysteine in your body. Homocysteine is a chemical linked to an increased risk for heart disease. But the researchers also discovered that male beer drinkers had a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than female beer drinkers. One reason for this may be that men and women metabolize alcohol differently, but there may also be lifestyle differences at work.
Beer and Cholesterol
There is some evidence that beer increases the amount of high-density lipoprotein, or good cholesterol, in your blood. A study financed by Kirin Beer examined the effect of dietary isohumulones, the compounds that give beer its bitter taste, on mice. After being fed isohumulones for two weeks, HDL levels increased in the mice. HDL helps reduce the amount of arterial plaque in your blood stream, reducing blood pressure and lowering your risk for heart disease. Human testing is required before the same benefit can be established for humans.
Recommendations
There is no reason to start drinking beer if you do not already do so. If you do drink beer, you may continue to do so as long as you practice moderation, one 12-oz. beer each day for women of any age and men over age 65 and up to 24 oz. of beer each day for men under age 65.
Considerations
Drinking too much alcohol is still a risk factor for developing hypertension. Remember that beer also has calories. Over-consumption can contribute to obesity, a risk factor for hypertension. Excessive alcohol consumption is also linked to stroke, cancer and suicide. Alcohol can also interfere with anti-hypertension medication. Check with your physician or pharmacist if you drink beer and take medication to control your blood pressure.
References
- University of Michigan Health System: Hypertension
- MayoClinic.com; High blood pressure; Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.; July 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health: Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits
- "Circulation"; Meta-Analysis of Wine and Beer Consumption in Relation to Vascular Risk; Augusto Di Castelnuovo, M.S.; June 2002
- "British Journal of Nutrition"; Dietary Isohumulones; Yutaka Miura, Ph.D., et al.; April 2005
