Researchers in Portugal say drinking one beer a day can have a positive effect on the bacteria in our stomachs.
ADVERTISEMENTDrinkers will be raising a glass to researchers in Portugal who have highlighted the health benefits of consuming beer.
Beer is beneficial to the composition of the intestine, which can help prevent common chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, according to Portugal's Centre for Health Technology and Services Research and NOVA Medical School.
They asked healthy men aged 23-58 to take part in a trial, asking them to drink a bottle of beer a day for a month.
"In fact, at the end of the four weeks, there was an increase in the diversity of microorganisms that are present in the intestine and the richness of these microorganisms," said Ana Faria from CINTESIS, one of the authors of the study. "And this is normally associated with beneficial health outcomes, with a decreased risk of disease, type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity."
But, how much beer is good for you?
"From our tests, we can say that one beer had no negative metabolic impact, on the contrary, it even seems to have a positive impact on gut bacteria, but ten beers, I really can't say!" added Faria.