Beer Day, Immunologist ‘Tasty, Energetic and Even Healthy’

Hot, sea and an ice-cold beer. It’s hard to dethrone the drink that in summer gives its best in refreshing a meal or an aperitif. “If taken in moderation and in the absence of pathological states, it is a tasty, energetic and even healthy drink, classically made up of water, cereals, hops and yeast”. This is how immunologist Mauro Minelli, professor of dietetics and nutrition at Lum University, begins his speech on the occasion of International Beer Day, celebrated today. “It must be reiterated, however, that there are optimal quantities of beer consumption that vary based on age and sex: males are able to eliminate ethanol sooner and more easily, which is why the same rules do not apply to both sexes – Minelli reminds us – Ethyl alcohol is never an ally of health, beer should not be drunk every day and in large quantities”.

But what is beer really? “The first historical evidence of the preparation of a beer-like beverage by the Sumerians, inhabitants of the strip of land between the Tigris and Euphrates in Western Asia, dates back to approximately 6,000 years ago. It is thought that the birth of beer is due to the habit of preserving cereals in water – recalls the immunologist – a favorable environment to start the malting and then fermentation processes. The yeast, usually represented by strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, splits the malt contained in the grains of the different cereals into alcohol and carbon dioxide, a process at the base of the fermentation from which a moderately alcoholic beverage emerges that is then bittered with hops capable, with their aftertaste, of balancing the sweetness of the malt”.

“When it does not have very long shelf lives and when it is not pasteurized, beer maintains important nutritional qualities. In fact, it contains many proteins, starch, fibers and antioxidants, as well as numerous vitamins and mineral salts such as magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, silicon. Among the many riches of beer are flavonoids with documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties”, observes the expert.

‘Thanks to its content of folic acid and other B vitamins, it counteracts the negative effects of homocysteine’

“At the table, beer is a perfect match with dairy products, as the absorption of alcohol is favorably modulated by the fats and proteins present in cheeses, whose aftertaste, however, should be linked to that of the beer to avoid compromising the flavor of the cheese – suggests Minelli – The acidity of beer, moreover, is ideal for making meat tender and more digestible. It is, therefore, advisable to use beer instead of wine or vinegar to marinate leaner cuts of meat that, during cooking, could become tougher”.

On the health front, “first of all, we should mention the ability of beer to counteract, thanks to its content of folic acid and other B vitamins, the negative effects of homocysteine, a substance capable of damaging blood vessels, and also that of slowing the decline of ‘good’ cholesterol, carrying out – he specifies – a function of prevention of cardiovascular risks, provided that it is consumed in adequate quantities. Due to its content of nicotinic acid and lactoflavin, beer is certainly an ally of sleep and has an effective diuretic action. Furthermore, the myth that beer helps produce milk in mothers should be dispelled: not only is this not supported by scientific evidence, but it contrasts with the established fact that alcohol is never good for pregnancy and, even less, for breastfeeding”.

The ethyl alcohol present in beer “has irritating effects on the stomach and intestines, sometimes leading to diarrhea with consequent hydro-electrolytic imbalances, which is why its consumption is not recommended for athletes and the elderly. Finally, it should be noted that beer does not make you fat because of its caloric intake, which remains rather limited, but because of the presence of ethyl alcohol, which can push an excessive production of insulin, which in turn can induce a progressive increase in weight”, he concludes.