Is beer healthy? No, it’s not. Please don’t think we’re saying that. BUT, a new study says that in moderation, drinking beer might offer similar health benefits to drinking small amounts of red wine. Take THAT, wine snobs!

An Italian study found that drinking a pint of beer a day was linked to lower rates of heart disease. Similar results have been found for years in studies of moderate red wine consumption; but experts long assumed that these benefits were exclusive to red wine, and not other types of alcohol. Wine fans rejoiced, and often touted the supposed superiority of their drink over other types of booze- until now.

However, researchers are quick to point out that these studies use real world data, and were not conducted in a laboratory; so any number of unknown behaviors could have caused the results. One of the researchers emphasizes that the health benefits might be in spite of the alcohol, simply caused by healthy activities associated with moderate drinking:

Wine or beer are part of a lifestyle. One glass can pair with healthy foods, eaten at proper time [sic], maybe together with family of friends [sic]. There is no place for binge drinking or any other form of heavy consumption.

So the next time you’re enjoying a drink responsibly, remember to pair it with a healthy meal and good company.

[via io9]

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