10 Health Benefits Of Beer (Slideshow)

Containing vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid, beer is said to significantly boost vitamin levels in the body. A study found that beer drinkers showed 30 percent higher levels of vitamin B6 in their blood than non-beer drinkers. Dark beers, especially, have the most antioxidants.

Reach for a pale ale, as they are rich in silicon, a compound that is linked to better bone health. Be careful how much you consume, though, because too many drinks can lead to an increased risk of fractures. 

If you drink about a pint of beer a day, your risk of heart disease may be lower, according to an analysis of 16 studies of more than 200,000 people. However, those who drank more than a pint were at a higher risk for heart disease. Additionally, more than 100 other studies found that drinking beer in moderate amounts lowers your risks of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease by 25 to 40 percent. This is because beer increases HDL, or what is known as "good" cholesterol, and reduces the chances of arteries hardening and blood thickening — two major causes of heart attacks.

By drinking two beers a day, you can reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes by 25 percent. According to a study, beer increases insulin sensitivity, which helps protect against diabetes. 

They say wine is good for your heart, but it appears beer is even better. A study of more than 70,000 women aged 25 to 40 found that those who drank moderate amounts of beer daily were less likely to experience high blood pressure than women who drank wine and spirits. 

Beer contains a cancer-fighting agent called xanthohumol, which fights off cancer-causing enzymes. Researchers also believe beer's sugars help prevent HCAs, a type of carcinogen, from forming. 

Moderate beer drinking helps prevent blood clots from forming and blocking blood flow to the heart, neck, and brain, which can cause a stroke. 

Consuming about one beer a day can reduce the risk of mental decline for older men and women by as much as 20 percent. 

For every bottle of beer men drink daily, they reduce their risk of developing kidney stones by 40 percent, possibly due to beer's high water content of 93 percent. 

Beer drinkers tend to live longer, according to several studies. The USDA estimates that moderate drinking prevents about 26,000 deaths a year. This is true in other countries as well, as a study reports that "if European beer drinkers stopped imbibing, there would be a decrease in life expectancy of two years."