Cheers

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 2004

A couple of glasses of beer each night may contribute to cardiovascular health in middle-aged men and postmenopausal women, according to a study from the Netherlands published in the May 2004 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Moderate alcohol consumption--up to 30 grams a day for men and 20 for women, the equivalent of two beers--can increase the blood level of a key hormone called dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) in both sexes.

DHEAS is believed to protect against atherosclerosis for men and women. "It's a reasonable conclusion that alcohol products influence levels of certain circulating hormones," says Michael Weber, MD, of SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in New York.