Volume 28 · Number 2 · Winter 2011
Beer history, health benefits
Humans were wearing little more than animal skins and simple cloth when beer was invented. Beer — the world’s oldest human-made beverage — dates back to 9,000 B.C. in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. In fact, the invention of bread and beer — the urge to domesticate barley for social gain — has been credited for civilization’s spread. Historically beer was also seen as safe and healthy; it was often more sanitary than local water supplies, as the brewing process killed any pathogens.
Today, the brewing industry is a multibillion-dollar global business consisting of a few dominant companies and thousands of smaller local and regional brew-makers. Sales of beer are 10 times those of wine in the U.S., though wine is a faster-growing market. The latter is one reason brewing expert Charles Bamforth believes beer needs to better market itself, sooner rather than later.
Some of the world’s greatest scientists have contributed to our understanding of the brewing process.
WANTED: GOOD BEER
The French chemist Louis Pasteur described the scientific basis for fermentation in the brewing of beer, and the English natural philosopher James Prescott Joule’s experiments in his family’s brewery contributed to the formulation of the First Law of Thermodynamics. Through the ages, people everywhere have demanded good beer — and that has called for solid science on the subject.
Despite its long history of medicinal uses — as a mouthwash, an enema and wound healer — beer only recently has received scientific confirmation for its health benefits.
Scientists report that consuming moderate amounts (one beer a day for women, two for men) can reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease, for example. Beer has heart-healthy antioxidants, and also contains vitamin B6, which prevents accumulation of homocysteine, an amino acid metabolite and an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. And beer, it has been confirmed, can help increase the level of HDL (beneficial cholesterol) in the body and decrease the likelihood of blood clots.
Beer also has lots of fiber, which helps digestion, and essential minerals like calcium, potassium, and phosphorus; and silicon, a mineral that helps strengthen bone density. Finally, in the right amount, it can be relaxing and good for one’s well-being.
Of course, too much drink is clearly bad, increasing the risk of alcoholism, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, liver damage and some cancers. The key, says Bamforth, is to integrate moderate beer enjoyment into part of a balanced diet and lifestyle.
Beer drinking is not always responsible for the proverbial “beer belly” — glass for glass, beer is less fattening than apple juice or milk. As Bamforth, a connoisseur of fine meats as well, says, “When people look at my belly, I say that’s not a beer belly — that’s a sausage belly!”