The Surprising Health Benefits of Guinness

Here in Ireland, it’s very well known that we drink a lot of Guinness. Ireland also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, higher than the US, UK, Greece, Germany, and many others. These two things may be connected! Guinness has a wide range of health benefits.

Firstly, Guinness is rich in antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, which are often found in fruits and vegetables. They can slow down the deposit of cholesterol on artery walls, reducing blood clots and the risk of heart attacks.

Each pint of Guinness also has around 0.3mg of iron, equivalent to around 3% of an adult’s recommended daily intake. Since iron deficiency and anaemia affects billions of people, drinking Guinness regularly could help top up the amount of iron in your body.

A pint of Guinness also contains around 3% of the daily requirement of folate, which is a B vitamin that our bodies require to make DNA and other genetic material, as well as being necessary for cells to divide. Folate (B12) deficiency is also very common nowadays.

Additionally, Guinness may lead to better bones. The plant hormone phytoestrogen is found in the beer and is linked to higher bone density. In one study of 1700 women, those who said they were moderate beer drinkers had the highest levels of bone density.

High consumption of alcohol can, however, have adverse effects. Fortunately, the alcohol content of Guinness is comparatively low to other beers, coming in at only ~4.3% ABV. This, alongside Guinness’ rich taste, means you’ll get full quickly without consuming lots of alcohol.

This also means that Guinness has fewer calories than other beers. Since over half of calories in beer come directly from the alcohol, the comparably low level of alcohol in Guinness means that it is low in calories. 1 pint has only 15 calories more than Bud Light for example.

There is also emerging research that drinking can help your brain. Findings from a new study indicate that mild to moderate alcohol consumption may protect against cognitive disorders that come with growing older, like dementia.

In a study of 1200 elderly adults with a variety of age-related mental disorders, those that were mild & moderate drinkers fared the best amongst the group. It may also lead to lower rates of depression and may also help prevent physical disabilities among the elderly.

Of course, there can be downsides associated with drinking large amounts of alcohol, but if you consume sensibly, you could actually avail of some benefits. As their old company motto used to state, “Guinness is good for you”.