Thursday, December 20, 2007

It's official: Guinness is good for you

According to the BBC, [the] "old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers.
A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks.
Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from University of Wisconsin told a conference in the US.
Guinness [was] told to stop using the slogan decades ago - and the firm still makes no health claims for the drink.
The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease.
They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager.
Clotting is important for patients who are at risk of a heart attack because they have hardened arteries.
A heart attack is triggered when a clot lodges in one of these arteries supplying the heart.
Many patients are prescribed low-dose aspirin as this cuts the ability of the blood to form these dangerous clots.
The researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida, that the most benefit they saw was from 24 fluid ounces of Guinness - just over a pint - taken at mealtimes.
They believe that "antioxidant compounds" in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.
However, Diageo, the company that now manufactures Guinness, said: "We never make any medical claims for our drinks."
The company now runs advertisements that call for "responsible drinking".
A spokesman for Brewing Research International, which conducts research for the industry, said she would be "wary" of placing the health benefits of any alcohol brand above another.
She said: "We already know that most of the clotting effects are due to the alcohol itself, rather than any other ingredients.
"It is possible that there is an extra effect due to the antioxidants in Guinness - but I would like to see this research repeated."
She said that reviving the old adverts for Guinness might be problematic - at least in the EU...
The original campaign in the 1920s stemmed from market research - when people told the company that they felt good after their pint, the slogan was born.
In England, post-operative patients used to be given Guinness, as were blood donors, because of its high iron content.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one stage advised to drink Guinness - the present advice is against this..."

14 comments:

BillyWarhol said...

ENGLAND MADE THEM
Beneath its buttoned-up surface, England teems with oddball innkeepers, crocodile-riding crackpots, and other Python-esque characters. Christopher Hitchens explains the proud tradition of British eccentricity, as Tim Walker and Sarajane Hoare capture some noted 21st-century examples.

Bizarre I just told a Friend I wanna Visit the Guiness Girls on their Estate!!

;))

Cheers!!

bluedreamer27 said...

hmmm for me it is not suitable for drinking it without permissions
if it works as aspirin well
it too bad
aspirin may lead to worst cases raher than curing

The All Seeing Eye said...

Thanks for the comment, Billywarhol. I was shocked to see that English hospital gave Guinness to their recovering post-op patients.

The All Seeing Eye said...

Thanks for the comment, Bluedreamer27. I always heard Guinness was both a meal and a drink.

Shelia said...

Interesting. I've never had it, but I have read of these health benefits regarding it. Over time it's been discovered that in moderation a number of alcohol based drinks can have health benefits. This is an extensive recommendation though...interesting.

Unknown said...

Yeh! Everybody knows beer, Guinness in particular is a vegetable and can be used for medicinal purposes. Beer rocks!!! Although I am on a diet so I have to stick with Odouls(non-alcohol) at 65calories per bottle. Just until spring the all bets are off.

waliz said...

i remember when i was in college ..i donated blood and after tht i was given a can of guiness malta..i could feel the instant energy i got after drinking it...

Beth Anderson said...

It's the only beer I drink!

The All Seeing Eye said...

You're so right, Shelia. And I was blown away that hospitals were giving it to actual patients.

The All Seeing Eye said...

"Guinness is a vegetable"? Now where did you get that, Debo Hobo? It is chunky.

The All Seeing Eye said...

Wow Waliz. They sure did believe in the Guinness.

The All Seeing Eye said...

Chic Girl, do you prefer it in a can or a glass?

Debbie Dolphin said...

Let's keep this a secret from my husband, he quaffs a few Guinness Beers during each New England Patriots Game!

Thank you for loving my new Avatar with my new facelift for a new blog and a New Year!

Thanks to Google's OpenID, this comment was posted by Debbie

The All Seeing Eye said...

We won't tell your husband, Debbie Dolphin. At least you know he's getting a good bit of iron in his diet though.