Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks worldwide. It is the oldest and the third most consumed drink after water and tea. Beer is manufactured from cereal grains through fermentation and brewing. Although it is usually manufactured using malted barley, oats, rice, maize, and wheat is also sometimes used to manufacture beer.
Compared to whiskies, rums, and vodkas, beer has a very low alcohol content. Modern beer contains around 4% – 6% ABV or alcohol by volume. However, many beer brands may manufacture the drink with more than 40% ABV.
6 Benefits of Having Beer in Summer
Nothing is more relaxing than a pleasant cold drink after spending several hours doing a hectic physical job outside under the sun. Surprisingly many people keep beer bottles or cans around them instead of water while performing a strenuous job in the heat. Although too much drinking of beer can lead to a beer belly, you can still enjoy the drink without risking gaining too much body weight. Here are some benefits you can enjoy while having a beer during summer.
1. Reduces Stress
Carrying out physical work under the sun can be physically stressful. Too much stress on your body can lead to excessive fatigue and energy loss. According to several pieces of research, two glasses of beer is sufficient to reduce work-related anxiety or stress. However, you need to ensure that you do not become dependent on alcohol because that will do more harm than good.
2. Quench Your Thirst
Doing physical work under the sun will make you thirsty very fast. Having water will only quench your thirst. However, if you have chilled beer instead of plain water, it will quench your thirst and also replenish your lost energy. This will make you more capable of doing your physical job under the sun.
3. Beer Is the Perfect Drink to Have With Friends
If you often meet your circle of friends every weekend, having a beer can make such social gatherings more enjoyable. Catch up on those lost moments in life and go back to your school or college days with your friends over a few bottles of chilled beer.
4. Beer Can Protect Your Heart
According to recent studies, people who drink moderate beer are less likely to suffer from heart attacks as compared to those who don’t drink beer at all. In addition, beer is effective in protecting you from strokes and other heart ailments. Studies reveal that moderate consumption of any alcoholic drink will result in lower cardiovascular disorders.
5. Lowers Cholesterol
Beer contains soluble fiber that helps reduce your bad cholesterol or LDL. Besides lowering your LDL level, soluble fiber intake also promotes healthy blood sugar in your body. However, the consumption of too much alcohol hampers your body’s natural ability to absorb minerals and vitamins. As a result, your body fails to burn the stored fat effectively.
6. Boosts Your Cognitive Functions
According to recent studies, alcohol consumption in middle-aged people results in improved overall body function. Although it does not encourage you to consume too much alcohol, it shows that moderate consumption can improve cognitive function.
“Don’ts” While Enjoying Beer during the Hot Summer Days
Although having chilled beer during the summer months can be very relaxing, there are certain things you should avoid at all costs.
Don’t Eat Barbeque and Drink Beer Simultaneously
Do you like to drink beer while enjoying barbeque? Experts suggest you avoid this combination because this may lead to cancer or gout—barbecued food, including meat, liver, and seafood, falls under high purine foods. Unfortunately, beer is also a high purine food. Thus, their combination increases the possibility of gout.
Barbecuing food generates benzopyrene, which is a carcinogen. When you have alcohol, it expands your blood vessels and dissolves mucin on the surface of your digestive tract. As a result, it makes it simple for your body to absorb the carcinogen and give rise to cancer.
Don’t Have Ice Cold Beer If You Are Sick
Although having chilled beer can make you feel refreshed on hot summer days, it is highly advisable not to have an ice-cold beer if you are feeling sick. This is because having cold beer will lower your body’s temperature. As a result, this reduction in your body temperature may affect your digestion and reduce the blood flow to various parts of your body. Thus, it raises the possibility of falling sick.
Don’t Drink Too Much
Although having a cold beer during the hot summer months may make you feel refreshed, that does not mean you can have many liters of beer to feel energized. Many people think that having too much beer is not unhealthy due to the low alcohol content. Unfortunately, this is not true. Your beer’s water content soon vanishes after drinking. However, your body absorbs the alcohol content. The result will be too much load on your kidneys, heart, and liver.
Don’t Have Too Much Beer If You Are Stout
There are two types of beer; processed and unprocessed. The latter are such beer that does not undergo the process of sterilization to eliminate bacteria. Although unprocessed beer is healthier and tastes better than processed beer, stout people should have little. Unprocessed beer contains yeast that lives inside the human body even after the beer is flushed out. This yeast will improve your appetite by enhancing the secretion of gastric juice. As a result, you will always feel hungry, and you will gain weight quickly.
Conclusion
Life everything else around you, beer has its fair share of pros and cons. If you speak about its benefits, beer helps reduce harmful cholesterol levels in your body and enables you to fight against cancer. On the other hand, beer can make you gain body weight and give you a beer belly. Nonetheless, you feel heavenly if you can have chilled beer after a strenuous physical job on a hot summer day. You feel re-energized and fresh. However, it is better to have some control over your beer consumption. After all, caution is always better than a cure.
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
