Beer Medicine: Beer vs. Arthritis

June 12, 2017

It is no surprise that you feel less pain after tasting more than a few local drafts. But did you know there are actual health benefits to having one or two craft beers a day? 

During our visit to Eugene last weekend, we had the pleasure of running into a gentleman who explained that he was "prescribed" beer to help battle his arthritis. We were skeptical to believe the man at the bar enjoying a local stout so we did some digging. As it turns out, he wasn't lying. 

Earlier studies show that alcohol can greatly reduce the risk of getting arthritis. The trick is to  "drink it in moderation" says Beth McDonald, a nutritionist at the Department of Integrative Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. But can a beer a day help patients who are already suffering from the disease? Recent studies suggest that it can. 

According to the Arthritis Foundation website (www.arthritis.org), you can enjoy an occasional adult beverage to help ease the pain in your joints. Rheumatologist James Maxwell of England's University of Sheffield told WebMD that "Patients in the study who drank at least 10 alcoholic beverages a month had 20%-30% less pain and inflammation than patients who didn't drink alcohol.." 

So was the man at the bar actually "prescribed" one beer a day? We believe so.

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Remember: Just because it is medicine doesn't mean your beer shouldn't be cold and carbonated!

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