Why is beer good for me?
Certainly one of the most popular drink since ancient times has been a good cold beer, although some countries drink it warm, but you get the point, it’s refreshing, helps you relax and it goes great with food, since the year 4.000 B.C many places around the world have been using and eventually improving this beverage, but its use is not only recreational, it has many benefits for your body that you might not know, let us explain them for you.
1. Health benefits
It helps to prevent cancer
Beer is a good source of polyphenols, they are a group of over 500 phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring micronutrients in plants, in the brewing process these nutrients remain and give the beer a healthy amount of antioxidants and helps prevent the cellular damage, so it is a good idea to start drinking some beer, it is better to do it with something to eat to complement it, nothing better than a good burger and an ice cold beer right? Just don’t drink it in excess or a headache next morning is not going to make you feel healthier anymore.
It protects your heart and kidneys and hardens your bones
According to an Italian study the beer drinkers have a 42% lower risk of having a cardiovascular disease than the non-drinkers, recommending a beer a day, also it prevents the formation of kidney stones in 40% according to Finnish researchers, don’t complaint the next time you are drinking and take a trip to the bathroom every 5 minutes and with some moderate drinking the bone density can be increased by 4.5% but don’t overdo it, you really don’t want to have the opposite effect.
Boost in confidence
Haven’t you felt that boost? That amazing sensation of increased charm and confidence? Did you just have a magic potion that made you funnier, smarter and more attractive? Well, yes, it is called beer, according to British researchers that there is a relation between drinking beer and the increase in confidence in you, so if you want to try and hit on a woman or a man you like, you might want to drink up, of course, don’t go crazy on the beer, otherwise you will be the joke they are laughing at.
2. Food pairing
Now you might think that the best drink to enjoy a meal is a glass of wine or some kind of soda or juice, but recently the craft beer industry has helped with the inclusion of beers to the table, giving many alternatives when it comes to complement or contrast a meal, so for the most common types of beer we managed to come up with a small guide on which food to try.
Ale
The Ale is a warm fermentation beer that gives it a fruity, sweet and full-bodied taste; it has many variations like the pale ale, old ale, mild and Indian. It goes amazingly with burgers and with spicy food so it is good with Mexican and Asian cuisine, mostly beef, so it is great with steaks and it complements very well the cheddar, parmesan and Romano cheeses, it is well paired with fried food and even with pizza, is a well-rounded beer that goes great with red meat.
Bock
The Bock is a strong German lager beer made with a low fermentation process, which goes very well with sausages, it goes so well with them that there is even a bockwurst sausage that is typically served with this kind of beer, it also goes well with beef and with Cajun food or pork chops, and it is well paired with Gruyere, Emmental and Swiss cheeses.
Lambic
The Lambic is a beer made in Belgium and it is fermented through exposure to wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Zenne valley, giving it a very particular dry, cidery and sour taste, it goes great with light white meats, and it is well paired with herbs and spices of the food, great with duck and pork or pickled dishes, and it is really good with fruity desserts or salads with fruit dressings, and the combination of Lambic with Mascarpone cheese is just glorious.
Lager
The Lager is a type of beer conditioned at low temperatures. It may be pale, golden, amber, or dark. Pale Lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available styles of beer like the Heineken or the Corona, it is best paired with shellfish or light seafood, it is great with sushi but also with chicken or pork-based meals, and some pasta preferably without a meat sauce or creams, it also goes great with Latin food and Southeast Asian so if you are eating something spicy, this is a good idea to refresh your tongue.
Pilsner
The Pilsner is a type of Pale Lager that takes its name from the Bohemian city of Pilsen, some popular brands are Budweiser and Avery Joe’s Pils it is well paired with salads or light seafood and it complements very well fishes like Tuna, Salmon or Trout it is also good idea when eating spicy or Mexican food since it is amazing with Monterrey, Muenster and Havarti cheeses, our Green Chili Breakfast Burrito is the perfect thing to complement this kind of beer, it has everything you need, spice, cheese, eggs and did I say cheese?
Porter
The Porter is a dark style of beer developed in London from well-hopped beers made from brown malt, being a medium-bodied beer it may show some sweetness usually from the light caramel to light molasses range it is well paired with smoked foods, barbecue, sausages, stews and mostly red meat and with bacon it is like a combination made in heaven
Stout
Stout is a dark beer that includes roasted malt or roasted barley, hops, water, and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, one of the most popular brands is Guinness like the Porter is also good with smoked food and roasted as well and with desserts, especially chocolate desserts that are not that sweet to really enhance the flavor when paired with the beer.
And there you have it, the benefits of a good beer and the kind of beers to pair food with, this is just a small part of the world of beers and its gastronomic uses, don’t be afraid to explore new things and remember a beer a day keeps the doctor away!.