DRINKING beer is better for your gut than trendy health foods, boffins claim.
New research has found guzzling booze in moderation was better than abstaining altogether.
It could, in theory, prevent heart disease, improve blood circulation and combat ageing.
International experts found beer to be rich in a beneficial mix of compounds needed for good gut health – which is believed to improve heart health and immunity.
It was found to be more effective than probiotics when drunk in moderation.
Probiotics are foods with live microorganisms with supposed health benefits.
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They include the likes of trendy kimchi, kombucha and kefir – popular with Gen-Zers.
Other examples include cheese and yogurt.
The research said: "As a long-established fermented beverage, beer is rich in many essential amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, and bioactive substances that are involved in the regulation of many human physiological functions.
"The polyphenols in the malt and hops of beer are also important active compounds that interact in both directions with the gut microbiome.
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"Due to the conversion of beer substrates, the formation of bioactive end products, and the presence of microorganisms, some of its components exert 'similar' or even greater effects than probiotics."
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, made the case for "beer bioactives" to be used later down the line for health benefits.
The review said: "Combining these results of studies in humans and animals, there is a consensus that moderate beer consumption has a beneficial effect on the immune system compared to states of alcohol abuse or abstinence.
"When alcohol consumption is controlled within safe limits, the combined effects of alcohol and other component metabolism on the intestinal flora deserve a more comprehensive analysis."
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