While the drawbacks of booze swilling are well-known and extensively chronicled, there are also upsides to drinking beer. No one is calling beer a health drink, but suds apparently aren’t all bad for you.

According to Yahoo, here are some examples in which research has suggested that beer can benefit your health:

* It may strengthen bones. One study showed that subjects who had one ore two drinks a day had greater bone density than non-drinkers. The bad news: Those who drank extensively suffered more fractures.

* It could make your heart stronger. Moderate drinking might reduce your risk of heart disease and raise good cholesterol levels.

* It could be good for your brain. Light daily drinking could slow the brain’s decline and keep you mentally sharper in middle age.

* It helps prevent kidney stones. Researchers believe beer can help prevent dehydration and “leeching of calcium from bones” that leads to the development of the ailment.

Don’t take this as an endorsement of binge drinking, which can be bad for your diet, damage your liver and lead to alcoholism.

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Beer [Yahoo]

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