Beer for Life: Resveratrol and SRT1720

A friend recently asked me if there were a particular beer that was healthier for you than others. I thought he was kidding, but he persisted so I did some research. Of course, there are the generally proven benefits to the moderate consumption of alcohol—quite a few, in fact. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “moderate” means one drink (12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of hard liquor) per day for women and two drinks per day for men. I have to keep reminding myself, however, that according to the most recent issue of Women's Health magazine more than one drink boosts my chances of developing metabolic syndrome, a no-fun disease involving low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess belly fat . Oops.

However, a Wisconsin microbrewery, BluCreek, has apparently taken things to the next level. They have added “a mix of ingredients that are commonly found in some fat burners or weight loss supplements” to their line of beer, creating Zen (green tea beer), Wild Blueberry Ale (antioxidant beer), Honey Herbal Ale (ginseng beer), and then a regular old German AltBeer (chocolate coffee beer)—and I think we all know the health benefits of anything that tastes like that.

Seriously, though, this is pretty cool. I mean, it’s got to be better for you than “energy” beers like Tilt and B to the E. I have yet to find an ingredient list (if you come across one, let me know), but Associated Content online offers an interesting perspective on this “bizarre crossover fusion and slightly oxymoronic product” that seems to be taking the place of Red Bull and vodka in terms of messing with your heart.

Finally, we’ve got beer that’s supposed to fight cancer. Scientists from Rice University are experimenting by adding resveratrol, a “natural component of grapes, pomegranates and red wine” to beer. Resveratrol is supposed to enable you to eat a high-fat diet without gaining weight or developing heart disease. Studies in mice have shown that this compound promotes heart health and may prevent cancer.

The jury's still out as to whether resvertrol isolated from its natural habitat is a good idea or not, but there has been a development from isolating it that is kinda freaky: srt1720. This new drug is supposed to allow you to eat a high fat diet without exercising and either lose weight or not gain any. They're even hoping it may increase human lifespan. In almost every article I found, some form of "lose weight without effort" was prevalent even over cancer prevention or increased endurance.

This exempilfies the whole problem behind the health care mentality that says, "Fix your symptoms, not your disease--and do it without effort." Srt1720p has been called a "wonder drug" and described as fooling the body into losing weight. Waaaaay down at the bottom of one article, they mention how more testing is needed to determine side effects.

Hmm. Side effects—like leptin drugs being linked to heart attacks and dementia? Or antidepressants being linked to suicide and violence? "Generally, 51% of FDA-approved drugs have serious adverse effects not detected prior to approval. Each year prescription drugs injure 1.5 million people so severely they require hospitalization."

Okay, I've gotten way off topic here. And honestly, it's kind of funny. Based on this scenario, you can drink whatever you want as long as you take srt1720 to counteract side effects of weight gain. Sign me up!