Have a Beer - For Your Health

Health news is usually flooded with precautionary studies and strict warnings: this is bad for you, that can cause cancer, you shouldn't put those up your nose; enough to ruin whatever mediocre day you happen to have been having. That's why I always get excited when I find a good health news story. And this one's great. Let's check out a snippet:

Moderate consumption of any alcoholic beverage, including beer, has been shown to increase HDL cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of blood clotting, Giancoli writes in ADA Times. Moderate alcohol consumption has also been associated with a lower incidence of gallstones, decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and improved cognitive function in older adults.

Excellent! Not only does drinking make those around you less boring, but it's also good for your health. Now I can finally focus on beer drinking in a positive light.

But shouldn't you take into account the fact that this is just one study and will most likely be replaced by contradictory data in the near future?

Um, I guess.

And what about alcohol dependency and liver disease?

Oh, yeah, those aren't good.

And the link between alcohol consumption and certain types of cancer?

Really?

Yup.

Now I feel like crap.

Want a beer?

Sure.