Beer as Medicine, Benefits of Beer, Beer history, Definition of Beer, Origin of Beer, Beer, Medicine, Benefits, what is beer, Beer Medicine

1. ‘BEER AS MEDICINE.’
 What is Beer?
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the saccharification of starch and
fermentation of the resulting sugar. The starch and saccharificating enzymes are often
derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat. Most
beer is also flavored with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative,
though other flavorings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included. The preparation
of beer is called brewing. Beer is the world's most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, and
is the third-most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is thought by some to be the
oldest fermented beverage.
 Brief History:
In Babylon and Egypt, long considered as the birthplace of beer, the drink
was offered to the gods and was mainly used by kings and at important festivals.
The Egyptians also attributed a therapeutic effect to beer, and women of the
upper classes used it for cosmetic purposes, i.e. to freshen their skin and reduce
the risk of certain skin conditions. In ancient Greece Hippocrates used beer as a
remedy to facilitate diuresis and the drink was also considered to act against
fever. Alcohol was also used at this time to heal wounds. Aretus of Capadocia
recommended it for diabetes and migraine. In the Middle Ages beer was used as
a stimulant to improve mood. Appetite generating and calming properties were
attributed to the hop, a component of beer. Up until a hundred years ago, hop-
filled cushions were recommended for sleeping disorders. In the beginning of this
century, the harmful consequences of alcohol abuse came to light, and medicine
adopted a doubtful attitude towards alcoholic drinks, including beer. The
emergence of powerful medicines further pushed out the use of alcohol as a
remedy. It is only in the last few years that there has been renewed interest for
the beneficial effect of alcohol on health.
Assignment made by:
‘Umer Farooq Kahloon.’
Roll no. 53.
M.Sc. Criminology.
(3rd
Semester.)
Submitted to:
Sir Mehboob Hassan.

2.  Beer; A medicine.
The main active ingredient of beer is alcohol, and therefore, the health
effects of alcohol apply to beer. The moderate consumption of alcohol, including
beer, is associated with a decreased risk of cardiac disease, stroke and cognitive
decline. The long term health effects of continuous, heavy alcohol consumption
can, however, include the risk of developing alcoholism and alcoholic liver
disease. Brewer's yeast is known to be a rich source of nutrients; therefore, as
expected, beer can contain significant amounts of nutrients, including
magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, chromium and B vitamins.
In fact, beer is sometimes referred to as "liquid bread" A 2005 Japanese study
found that low alcohol beer may possess strong anti-cancer properties. Another
study found non-alcoholic beer to mirror the cardiovascular benefits associated
with moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. However, much research
suggests that the primary health benefit from alcoholic beverages comes from
the alcohol they contain. It is considered that over-eating and lack of muscle tone
is the main cause of a beer belly, rather than beer consumption. Several diet
books quote beer as having an undesirably high glycemic index of 110, the same
as maltose; however, the maltose in beer undergoes metabolism by yeast during
fermentation so that beer consists mostly of water, hop oils and only trace
amounts of sugars, including maltose.

3. Benefits of Beer: As previously stated, Beer is an Alcoholic product and the benefits
that Alcohol has are the very benefits of Beer. Some of them are:
 Beer protects against the common cold. Scientists believe it has to do with its
ANTIOXIDANT properties.
 Beer can combat the signs of Aging as it promotes longer cell life in the body.
 Beer prevents Heart diseases.
 Beer can help treat gum diseases and by reducing free radicals it protects from
inflammation in mouth.
 Moderate intake of Beer may increase good Cholesterol. Lowering the risk of
having an Ischemic Stroke.
 Beer may prevent from dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
 Beer may stimulate blood flow in the brain and increase Brain Metabolism.
 Beer lowers the risk of Gallstones by reducing cholesterol in the bile that
causes them.