Researchers continue to find beneficial evidence of antioxidants. The latest BBC story, and one I particularly enjoy, suggests that Guinness is actually good for you, or at least good for your dogs:
The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease.
They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager.
Lucky dogs.
The researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida, that the most benefit they saw was from 24 fluid ounces of Guinness – just over a pint – taken at mealtimes.
They believe that “antioxidant compounds” in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.
Makes sense to me. Wait, how many mealtimes are there in a day for a dog?
I love the fact that Guinness has changed their slogan from “is good for you” to “responsible drinking”. Perhaps they can modify their slogan only slightly now to “drink what is good for you” to avoid running afoul of EU laws on marketing. Or not.
But I guess my point is that the race to find the best or top antioxidant is a bit confusing. For example, here is an excerpt from a list of the hits on Yahoo! for “top antioxidant“:
- Mushrooms beat wheatgerm to top antioxidant slot
- Acai Berry Ranked Top Antioxidant SuperFood
- Honeydew honeys top antioxidant ratings
- Coffee Buzz: Drink Is Top Antioxidant Source in U.S.
- Cranberries, the top antioxidant source
- Beans, artichokes top antioxidant list, according to new analysis
- Top Antioxidants: Beans At Top, With Berries To Follow
See what I mean. Even if Guinness did say “drink what’s good for you”, how would one actually figure it out any better than self-observation and study?
The BBC article makes a sly point to this effect, cleverly buried in their report:
The original campaign in the 1920s stemmed from market research – when people told the company that they felt good after their pint, the slogan was born.
“Feeling” good might be a bit too qualitative for some, but is it any worse than quantitative measures that contradict? And what about side-effects. Coffee? Beans?
Doctors in America often say one drink a day is too many, whereas some older European cultures seem to propose a higher bar and even go so far as to dispell common myths about harm:
Dr Martin Bobak from University College London and colleagues at the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague questioned 891 Czech men and 1,098 women between the ages of 25 and 64 as part of their study.
[…]
The survey showed the men consumed on average 3.1 litres of beer each week with women drinking on average 0.3 litres per week.
There were few heavy drinkers. Just 3% of men drank more than 14 litres of beer in a week and just five women regularly consumed more than 7 litres in a week.
The scientists found no link between beer consumption and obesity.
14 litres (4 US gallons, 3 UK gallons) of beer in a week?!
So until someone can explain how to achieve the “top” status of foods, here’s to Guinness and to drinking what is good for you.