It’s not what you drink; its how much you drink that determines the benefits of alcohol. More evidence has appeared that proves that regardless of your drink of choice, you can reap some health advantages…if you drink moderately.

Beer is perceived as fattening, to wit, “beer bellies,” “beer bloat,” but does beer automatically show up on your mid-section? What’s in beer that makes people perceive it as bad?

David J. Hanson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the State University of New York at Potsdam, is the expert on alcohol, and writes that moderate drinkers tend to have better health and live longer than those who are either abstainers or heavy drinkers. He cites research that shows that moderate drinkers:
* Have fewer heart attacks and strokes.
* Have lower incidence of hypertension, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and the common cold.
* He also links moderate (sensible!) drinking to a lower risk for a myriad of other conditions, ranging from Parkinson’s disease to “poor physical condition in the elderly."

How does it improve health?

Dr. Hanson writes that moderate alcohol consumption appears to improve health and longevity in a number of ways, including:
* Improving blood lipids by raising “healthy” HDL cholesterol and lowering “lousy” LDL cholesterol;
* Decreasing “stickiness” of blood lowering risk for blood clots and increasing the process of “fibrinolysis,” improving the process that dissolve blood clots;
* Decreasing heart spasm and increasing coronary blood flow;
* Reducing blood pressure and blood insulin;
* Increasing estrogen.

Way back before bottled beer and screw-top wine, alcohol was used medicinally -- throughout recorded history, in fact. Consistently shown as beneficial in reducing risk for a heart attack, alochol helps moderate drinkers to live longer than those who abstain.

Alcohol abusers incur higher risk for all types of disease. So remember, more is NOT better when it comes to alcohol of any type.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies has found the epidemiological studies indicate that moderate drinkers live longer than non-drinkers and heavy drinkers. The reasons are not clear. A number of other lifestyle factors could be involved.

People who do not drink should not start for health reasons. People who drink more than two drinks a day should cut back. Proper diet and exercise are safe alternatives to improve cardiovascular health. Moderate drinking may have some benefits, but it also carries increased health risks.

So…which is the best brew?

Beer, although perceived to be one of the less healthy brews, is actually more nutritious than red wine, according to Charles Bamforth, chairman of the Food Science Department at the University of California at Davis and an Anheuser-Busch endowed professor.

Now, we don’t think he’s biased, do we? Regardless, I did a little research and agree: Beer does have small amounts of nutrient B vitamins, such as B12, folic acid and niacin, as well as antioxidants, such as polyphenols and ferulic acid not found in red wine.

Red wine contains antioxidants such as resveratrol, which researchers say are beneficial in preventing harmful elements in the body from attacking healthy cells. Resveratrol is also found in peanuts, blueberries and cranberries.

Like food, it’s all in the portion size.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of and Health and Human Services define moderate drinking as no more than:
* One drink a day for women and people over 60.
* Two drinks a day for men (no more than one an hour).

They recommend the following people should not drink at all:
* Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
* People who plan to drive or engage in other activities that require attention or skill.
* People taking medication, including over-the-counter medications.
* Recovering alcoholics.
* People under the age of 21.

Finally, don’t think you can save all the drinks for the week to drink on Saturday night. That’s a problem! A daily rather than weekly amount is suggested.

It's healthier to drink a small amount daily than to binge (more than 4 drinks for men, more than 3 for women) on weekends or special occasions.