Banish fear, drink beer

According to a recent study, Japanese scientists have claimed that going to a pub five nights a week can actually improve one’s health. The secret, they claim, is to drink regularly but in moderation rather than drinking only occasionally or not drinking at all.

They also say that two pints of beer or a similar unit of wine consumption is fine.  But here is the catch — it will work only if one limits oneself to just two pints of beer.

Alcohol remains a major cause of liver disease, said the report by the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research, but it is excessive alcohol that does the damage. Frequent but moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the chances of developing a fatty liver — the cause of many diseases — by up to 60%.

Fitness experts and nutritionists in the city also seem to agree with this. Fitness expert Leena Mogre agrees with the study, but not entirely. “The key to being healthy is consuming anything in moderation. Wine is good for heath and is an antioxidant besides having anti-ageing properties, so a glass of wine a day is good for heath. But I don’t recommend hard drinks or even a glass of beer for that matter.”

 The study alsofound that moderate drinkers had the lowest prevalence of fatty liver disease but further tests revealed this was related more to how often they drank rather than how much.

Those who consumed around three or four alcoholic drinks spread over 21 days in a month had the lowest risk of all. “A lot of studies by different colleges in the US also have proved that a unit of 30 ml of wine is good for your body. But very often that not, people do not stick to moderation. If one unit a day is strictly followed then it is fine to have alcohol, even everyday,” says Vinata Shetty, a fitness expert. So go on, put on those dancing shoes but curb that urge to go all out!