A beer a day. . .
The Nutritional Value of Beer

There are more than 2000 substances found in modern beer. Many of them are beneficial to, or required by, the human body. All of these substances come from the basic ingredients used in the brewing process (malt, water, hops, and yeast).

Hops do not contribute measurable amounts of any mineral or vitamin, but are widely recognized as herbal relaxants, and are used in naturopathic or homeopathic medicines as sleep inducers or stress relievers. They also contain compounds that stimulate appetite.

Malt, besides the few contributions listed below, also contain all essential and many non-essential amino acids. Since it is low protein, beer helps people on low protein diets maintain their amino acid intake.

The following table shows the type of substance, where it came from, and its value to our existence as humans.

Studies have shown:
- Moderate consumption of alcohol has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack (about 1 pint per day is considered moderate).
- Polyphenols (found in both beer and red wine) have proven to be effective against cancer and cardiovascular disease
- Low calcium and high magnesium in beer helps fight development of gallstones and kidney stones

1. adapted from p.11 "Cut the fat", New Brewer, Sept/Oct 2000 2. adapted from "Bavarian Brewing Technologies" website, http://bavarianbrewerytech.com/news/guess.htm