Why a pint is just a tonic

WITH Christmas and New Year upon us, a British analytical chemist believes there is every reason for those who enjoy the occasional for those who enjoy the occasional pint to take heart.

According to David Williams of the University of Wales, Cardiff, beer is a complete food containing water, carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals. Sterile, free of toxic metals and good for the heart, beer is undeserving of decades of bad press, he says.

All the evidence, Professor Williams claims, suggests those who drink moderate amounts of beer live longer and can expect to see in at least one more new year than those who abstain.

"The evidence to date shows those who drink a pint a day have an expected lifespan which is a year or two longer than abstainers," says Professor Williams, who has spent the past two decades analysing what is surely a staple part of many British diets.

"As well as the right nutrition, beer has a relaxing effect and can change moods," he said. "In this stressful and tense society we live in, the more we relax has got to be good."

Beer is 93 per cent water, Professor Williams says. With the average human requiring about four pints of water a day, beer is an important source. The dehydrating effects of alcohol are more than compensated for.

Beer is a major energy source, with every pint containing around 15g of carbohydrate derived from barley and malt. And, contrary to popular belief, beer contains no fat, says Professor Williams. "You can go on a beer diet. There are fewer calories in some beer than there are in skimmed milk."

Beer contains proteins, vitamins and folic acid. Its low sodium content helps reduce high blood pressure.

The beer drinker's characteristic pot belly is a result of alcohol's anaesthetising effect, says Professor Williams, rather than beer per se. "Alcohol numbs your stomach so you can't always tell when it is full," he says.