| Reader, Happy 4th of July!
To celebrate our great nation's birthday, nearly two-thirds of us will be hosting or going to a backyard barbeque today.
I know I'll be firing up the grill.
For my family and me, there's nothing better than watching fireworks while eating a big, thick grass-fed steak or burger.  Firing up the grill is a 4th of July tradition at my house. | And if you want to want an ice-cold beer with your meal, go ahead and enjoy!
Many people tend to think of beer as a "guilty pleasure" – a carb-heavy beverage that causes your blood sugar to spike.
But that's just not the case.
Having a couple bottles of beer with your meal can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by 43% for men and 58% for women.1
You see, alcohol – especially in beer and wine – increases adiponectin levels.
This is a hormone that your fat tissue releases that improves hormone that protects against insulin resistance and inflammation. Low adiponectin is linked to several damaging metabolic conditions, including obesity, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes.
Adiponectin was only discovered in the 1990s.
Because it's such a recent discovery, there is still a lot to learn about it. But what we do know is that this fat cell hormone increases insulin sensitivity by:2,3 - Increasing insulin release by the pancreas
- Promoting fatty acid oxidation to increase energy
- Stops the production of glucose in the liver
- Prevents dangerous visceral, or hidden, fat storage deep in the belly or wrapped around organs
- Acting as an anti-inflammatory
- Stimulating weight loss
Diabetes protection isn't beer's only benefit. Research shows a cold brew can... - Make your heart healthier. Researchers at the American Heart Association tracked 80,000 participants for six years. They found that moderate beer drinkers had higher HDL cholesterol, levels — which leads to a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.4 A separate study found that beer drinkers who already had a heart attack were 42% less likely to die from heart disease.5
- Protect your brain and build strong bones. Beer contains the mineral silicon which protects your brain from compounds that can cause cognitive decline. A study out of Loyola University found that moderate beer drinkers are almost 25% less likely to develop Alzheimer's and dementia than those who don't drink beer. The same silicon that helps also increases bone density.
- Reduce inflammation. A main ingredient in beer is hops. In a recent study, researchers found that these flowers of the hop plant have anti-inflammatory properties that offer neuroprotection.6 A study published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found that hops also interfere with inflammation-causing compounds.7
A couple brews a day can also prevent kidney stones, lower stress, protect your teeth, and help you live longer. Cheers To The 4th – And Your Good Health! Keep in mind that more isn't better... While low adiponectin is bad, having too much isn't good either. That's why I recommend having just a few beers instead of overindulging. - Drink in moderation. Drinking more than 14 beers a week will undo all the health benefits.8 Excessive drinking increases your risk of additional health problems like cancer, stroke, pancreatitis, hypertension, and liver disease.
- Ignore the "low-carb" myth. One out of three men thinks drinking low-carb beer is better for them. But that myth comes from marketing, not science. These beers only have slightly fewer carbs than other beers. And many low-carb beers have higher alcohol content. While beer has a high glycemic index, its glycemic load is only 2.5. And as you know, it's the GL that counts.
- Read the label. Darker beers – like a stout, porter, and IPA – as well as extra hoppy beers, are your healthiest choices. Look for a brew with no more than 5% alcohol and avoid specialty brews with added sugar.
- Choose bottled beer. A breakthrough study recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease provided conclusive proof that the aluminum in cans is linked to Alzheimer's.9 This is the first study that definitively disputes what the FDA and the Alzheimer's Association have been saying. It's true that we've been exposed to aluminum since our existence. But we didn't evolve to deal with the high levels of exposure we've had in the last century.
To Your Good Health, 
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References: - Holst C, et al. "Alcohol drinking patterns and risk of diabetes: a cohort study of 70,551 men and women from the general Danish population. Diabetologia. 2017; 60(10):1941-1950.
- Ahlstrom P, et al. "Adiponectin improves insulin sensitivity via activation of autophagic flux." J Mol Endocrinol. 2017 Nov;59(4):339-350.
- Cleveland Clinic. "Adiponectin." https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22439-adiponectin. Accessed on June 24, 2024.
- Huang S. "Longitudinal study of alcohol consumption and HDL concentrations: a community based study." Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Apr;105(4):905-912.
- Pai J, et al. "Long-term alcohol consumption in relation to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among survivors of myocardial infarction: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study." European Heart J. 2012;33(13)1598-1605.
- Cervanter G, et al. "Redox and anti-inflammatory properties from hop components in beer-related to neuroprotection." Nutrients. 2021 Jun; 13(6): 2000.
- Keukeleire D, et al. "Hop bitter acids efficiently block inflammation independent of GRα, PPARα, or PPARγ." Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Sep;53(9):1143-55.
National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention www.prevention.va.gov/Healthy_Living/Limit_Alcohol. Accessed on June 24, 2024. - Mold M, et al. "Aluminum and neurofibrillary tangle co-localization in familial Alzheimer's disease and related neurological disorders." J Alzheimers Dis. 2021;78(1):139-149.
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