Glass of Guinness: Drink to your health?

Hartford Courant ^ | April 4, 2004 | Kevin Hunt

[southernnorthcarolina]

Guy walks into a bar, orders a 12-ounce bottle of Corona Extra. Another guy walks in, orders a 12-ounce Guinness draft.

Whose drink is healthier?

If the guidelines are less alcohol, fewer calories, fewer carbohydrates and, to top it off, protection against heart attacks and blindness, it's the Guinness drinker, hands down.

No joke.

Guinness, in fact, is lower in alcohol, calories and carbohydrates than Samuel Adams, Budweiser, Heineken and almost every other major-brand beer not classified as light or low-carb. It has fewer calories and carbohydrates than low-fat milk and orange juice.

Could this be the same Irish stout that looks like a root-beer float and tastes about as filling as a quarter-pounder with cheese?

Yes.

The tastes-great, more-filling formula defies nutritional expectations because Guinness is so low in alcohol, a source of empty calories. Guinness is 4.2 percent alcohol by volume, the same as Coors Light. Budweiser and Heineken check in at 5 percent.

"That surprised me," says Dr. Joseph Brennan, a Yale-New Haven Hospital cardiologist of Irish heritage and a confirmed Guinness drinker. "I could never understand why one or two wouldn't leave me light-headed."

Brennan, like many cardiologists, recommends a drink a day for his cardiac patients. Red wine, in particular, has been shown to help prevent heart attacks. Now maybe it's beer's turn. A University of Wisconsin study last fall found that moderate consumption of Guinness worked like aspirin to prevent clots that increase the risk of heart attacks.

In the study, Guinness proved twice as effective as Heineken at preventing blood clots. Guinness is loaded with flavonoids, antioxidants that give the dark color to many fruits and vegetables.

These antioxidants are better than vitamins C and E, the study found, at keeping bad LDL cholesterol from clogging arteries. Blocked arteries also contributes to erectile dysfunction, as does overindulgence in alcohol.

Guinness has a higher concentration than lighter beers of vitamin B, which lowers levels of homocysteine, linked to clogged arteries.

And researchers have found that antioxidants from the moderate use of stout might reduce the incidence of cataracts by as much as 50 percent.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Good news!

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[zook]

I love the stuff, especially the draft version in 14oz cans. I could drink it for breakfast.

[evolved_rage]

It goes well with Corn Chex.

[stylin_geek]

The only problem with me drinking Guinness is that I use Jameson as a supplement.

All that aside, I admit, Guinness is my beer of choice.

[unixfox]

Life's too short to drink cheap beer.

[tarawa]

...and let's face it, Guinness just plain TASTES better as well.....

[JennysCool]

Here's to ya!

[Burn24]

No one believes me today but in Britain, in the 70s, whilst nursing my second child, the doctor PRESCRIBED a pint of guiness a day.

Too bad I hated the stuff!

[Lady Jag]

[July 4th]

A University of Wisconsin study last fall found that moderate consumption of Guinness worked like aspirin to prevent clots that increase the risk of heart attacks.

My wonderful university, home of the USDA's Malt and Barley Lab. No coincedence that the Madison campus has the highest per capita beer consumption in the nation. :)

[uglybiker]

Well, duh!

[SamAdams76]

I can drink Guiness but I never really acquired a taste for it. I much prefer Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout (as a dark beer). Wonder how many carbs is in that.

As for Corona beer (that the article was comparing Guiness too), yuck. Comparing Guiness to Corona is like comparing a thick T-bone steak to a fast-food hamburger. (Only the fast-food burger probably tastes a lot better than the Corona.)

[wingman1]

Last August we toured England and judged OSH to be our favorite. With the huge variety of cask ales, I don't believe we drank Guinness at all, but did try Murphy's a couple of times. We've managed to find OSH at a few different places in the States, and have enjoyed it. Thanks fo the pic, my wife will enjoy it.

[Riley]

LOL! The other caption that I have seen for that is, "Although Tom and Bob confined themselves to one drink at lunch, they were never at their most productive in the afternoons."

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

"That surprised me," says Dr. Joseph Brennan, a Yale-New Haven Hospital cardiologist of Irish heritage and a confirmed Guinness drinker. "I could never understand why one or two wouldn't leave me light-headed."

It must be the Irish in me, 'cause my reaction to Guinness is the same as his.

When we were visiting Ireland for a choir festival, I heard stories about doctors who actually prescribe Guinness for their patients because of the B vitamins. Now we hear about the anti-clotting and anti-oxidants. I'm sold on it ;-).... but where to find it on tap here in the States like it's served in the Old Country?!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

When you're out of Point, you're out of town...

[Tench_Coxe]

Hiccup bookmark

[robertpaulsen]

The presidents of Miller, Coors, Anheuser-Busch and Guinness were at an international beer conference. They decided to all go to lunch together and the waitress asked what they wanted to drink.

The president of Miller said without hesitation, "I'll have a Miller High Life, the champagne of bottled beer!"

The president of Coors smiled and said, "I'll have a Coors, brewed from pure mountain spring water!"

The guy from Anheuser-Busch proudly said, "I'll have a Budweiser, the King of Beers!"

The guy from Guinness glanced at his lunch mates and said, "I'll have a Coke."

The others looked at him like he had sprouted a new head. He just shrugged and said, "If you guys aren't drinking beer, then neither will I."

[Lady Jag]

Got any thoughts for a political caption? It looks ripe for one, but I guess I'm slow this AM.