Prajita Gupta
When it comes to beer, the culture of drinking is undergoing a major shift here in Nepal. It is fast becoming commonplace, particularly for the younger generation, to indulge in a weekly drinking ritual – at least once a week. Beer, surprisingly, is starting to find an irreplaceable place in our minds, where swigging a bottle or two is almost a norm now. On the weekends, it is a common sight to see groups of people in their 20s or 30s celebrating the end of their hectic weeks at pubs and bars, sipping on their surplus alcohol and puffing their cigarettes.
The youngsters are well into a habit of drinking, but they still need to do it behind their parents’ back as the conventional family rules still forbid drinking at an early age, and that has multiplied the out-of-home drinking practice in Kathmandu. The older generation blames the western influence and the media for this increasing drinking trend, but the roots of drinking have been sculpted in our society since past few centuries. We can often hear stories of our parents and grandparents saying how they were encouraged to drink chyang (Himalayan rice beer) from early childhood, to fight the cold. In some rural households, toddlers were even given a dose of chyang to keep them asleep while the mothers would work. The only difference between theirs and our generations is that the beverage being consumed is different. This should, however, not be the reason the elders to prohibit the young ones from enjoying their drinks.
So, next time somebody nags at you for drinking one too many bottles of beer, citing negative health consequences, let them know the following perks of drinking beer. Chances are, they will be sipping the next bottle with you.
1. Beer is known, according to a Finnish study, to keep your kidneys healthier. Unlike other alcoholic beverages, it helps the kidneys by reducing the risk of kidney stones by 40% for every bottle of beer consumed.
2. Beer, especially dark one, improves the digestive procedure of your body, thanks to the considerable amount of soluble fiber present in it. It helps to prevent constipation or diarrhea, which are caused by the lack of fibers in your diet.
3. Beer lowers the LDL cholesterol in your blood, i.e., the bad cholesterol.
4. Beer can be considered a cure for insomnia, as it contains lactoflavin and nicotinic acids that help to promote sleep.
5. Studies also show that the beer drinkers have 40-60% lower chances of having a heart attack than their non-drinking counterparts.
6. Beer is also found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia disease by boosting memory.
7. Beer helps fight stress. It has been found by the researchers at the University of Montreal that two glasses of beer a day can reduce work-related stress or anxiety.
8. Beer helps add a glow to your skin by regenerating the skin and having a positive impact on pigmentation due to the vitamins it contains.
With all these benefits, you would think it is alright to guzzle down a few bottles of beer every day, but even drinking a little amount of beer can make some people dizzy, nauseous and most dangerously, act like a fool. You must keep in mind your alcohol consumption capacity and never drink more than you can handle. Also, make sure you do not drink and drive. It would only be safe to say that you could use these points to justify indulging in the drink every once in a while but not make them part of your excuse to turn up drunk at home every night.
Happy drinking!
