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Monday, May 01, 2000
Beer Has Vitamin B6 for
Heart
Several
studies have pointed out the heart-healthy benefits of
drinking red wine, but those who prefer a brew won't miss
out.
 It turns out
beer contains significant levels of vitamin B6, which can
reduce the risk of heart
disease. Researchers at the TNO Nutrition and Food
Research Institute in Zeist, the Netherlands, studied effects
that different types of beverages could have on the heart.
Eleven healthy people drank four glasses of either beer, red
wine, Dutch gin or sparkling water with their dinners for
three weeks. Then they switched to another beverage in random
order.
During the three
weeks of drinking beer, study participants' vitamin B6 blood
levels rose 30 percent while their homocysteine levels
remained stationary. Homocysteine is a chemical known to
increase the risk of heart problems. While drinking red wine
or Dutch gin, homocysteine levels rose 8 percent and 9
percent, respectively. Researchers say that calculates into an
elevated heart disease risk of 10 percent to 20 percent.
However, moderate alcohol consumption overall is associated
with a lower risk for heart
problems.
This study is
published in the April 29 issue of The Lancet.
--By WebMD National News
Center
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