What is beer good for and why do athletes drink it after matches?

Beer is the third most popular drink in the world. In first place is water, in second place – tea. Controversy about the harm of beer has long been going on. Ardent opponents of alcohol stand up for the fact that drinking beer, as well as other alcoholic beverages – harmful. In fact, it’s not quite like that.

nutritionist, founder of GetVegetable, a nutritional delivery service.

Beer is made by fermenting wort by adding rye, wheat, barley or oats. In the past, spices and natural herbs such as juniper, wormwood and caraway were added. But today the function of herbs is replaced by hops, a plant of the cannabis family. Since ancient times it has been used as a painkiller, which also plays the role of a sedative and sleeping pill.

What is beer good for?

Moderate consumption of beer not only does not harm the body, but can also benefit it. In small doses and on an irregular basis, it has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, can be a preventive measure for diabetes. However, to abuse it, as well as any other alcohol, is absolutely not worth it.

Beer helps to recover after long and serious physical exertion. For example, Guus Hiddink, who became the head coach of the Russian national team in 2006, brought this tradition from Europe. In cycling races such as the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, riders drink beer after long marathon stages to regain their strength.

The silicon content in beer helps to strengthen teeth and bones and even helps to get rid of osteoporosis, in which bones thin and become very brittle. The most silicon in beer with barley and hops, and in non-alcoholic varieties it is very little. Therefore, older people will also sometimes be useful to drink a glass of beer, because with age, bones become brittle and are most prone to fractures.

In addition, beer contains polyphenols – powerful antioxidants that can prevent cancer. And flavonoids, which make up about 60% of polyphenols, slow down the aging process, reduce the risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

The difference between non-alcoholic beer and alcoholic beer is only in the presence of ethanol in the latter, so what kind of beer to choose is up to each individual.

What are the benefits of beer-based sauces and marinades?

For example, when frying meat, it contains special substances – carcinogens, which are also found in exhaust gases and tobacco smoke. They can provoke the development of malignant neoplasms. Beer marinade is able to reduce the amount of these substances. Dark beer marinade is considered the most useful – it almost halves the effect of carcinogens.

If you do not know the measure of beer consumption, it can also lead to gastritis, pancreatitis, infertility, headaches and nervous diseases.