By Ruth Cilento, MB BS DBM DAc FACNEM ©Dementia Care International
Beer! The good brown ale! Did you know that properly brewed and taken in moderation, this favourite Aussie beverage is actually a health drink?
The age-old practice of brewing is shrouded in the mists of time – well before written history. The growing of hops, one of the principal ingredients in beer, was recorded on clay tablets in Mesopotamia more than 2,000 years ago.
Hops, proper name Humulus Lupulus, are climbing plants whose resins contain the bitter principle that gives beer its unique flavour, stimulates the appetite, and tones the liver and gall ducts. Textbooks declare that hops also contain a relaxing Nervine with restorative properties to ease pain, calm the mind and elevate the mood. Used locally, hops can also soothe inflammation and irritable conditions of the scalp and skin.
Other ingredients in beer, such as pure water and brewers yeast to ferment the sugars of a malted grain, are also healthy. Brewers yeast contains the highest proportion of B group of vitamins occurring together in the vegetable kingdom. These eleven substances are essential for the health of the brain, blood and bone.
With all this going for it, you can see why beer, if it is brewed in the natural way, is such a reviving and refreshing tonic.
Personally, I value beer for the camaraderie it brings to a gathering enhancing the heart-warming qualities of friendship, communication and enjoyment.
But do remember the rule of Hippocrates: ‘Moderation in all things’ while you are indulging!