Beer more healthy than wine, researcher claims
Beer more healthy than wine, researcher claims
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Wednesday, 28, Jun 2006 04:24
Despite beer's reputation for being unhealthier than wine, a US professor has argued that the opposite may in fact be the case.
Speaking at the Institute of Food Technologists' annual meeting, Charles Bamforth, chairman of the food science department at the University of California, said that beer is as healthy – if not more healthy – than wine.
This is a result of beneficial vitamins such as B12, folic acid and niacin as well as antioxidants such as polyphenols and ferulic acid.
Dr Bamforth, author of Beer: Health and Nutrition, told delegates that beer also provided a valuable resource of soluble fibre, which aids digestion, and that the active ingredient in alcohol – either from beer or wine – helps to counter blockage of the arteries.
"People say red wine is key to that," he said. "But beer, if you looked at it holistically, is healthier than wine. But it is not perceived that way."
He added that hesitancy on the part of the beer industry to promote the health benefits of the drink was due to fears that it could be seen to be promoting alcohol to teenagers.