The good news

Beth Park. Photo / Supplied

Still full from Christmas and jaded from festive celebrations? I'm sure there are some "health-kick" New Year's resolutions already in swing for 2010. If that's you, the good news is that you can still have a guilt-free beer or two without breaking any resolutions. Believe it or not, in moderate amounts, beer actually benefits both body and soul.

Beer bellies, lager love-handles and even ruddy noses have all given beer a bad rap but it's a misunderstood drink. Most of beer's negative associations are to do with lifestyle choices, not the brew itself. In fact, those saussies on the barbie, and the extra helping of pav at Christmas dinner, would most likely have given you more calories than sipping a few quiet beers.

Beer has almost no fat and zero cholesterol. It can be less fattening than wine and RTDs, and contains less sugar and more dietary fibre, thanks to its barley content.

Malt is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially B6 and B12, and 500ml of beer meets about 30 per cent of an average person's daily need for vitamins.The presence of hops can provide beneficial sedative effects and their bitterness can aid digestion.

Studies I've read about alcohol even show moderate drinkers are less prone to stress and heart disease than many teetotallers and heavy drinkers.

Alcohol, consumed in moderate amounts, reduces fat deposits in blood vessel walls and also lowers cholesterol levels in your blood, which can counteract cardiac diseases and stabilise your blood pressure.

And let's not forget that beer is about 95 per cent water. Its high water content, and relatively low alcohol content compared to wine and spirits, makes it a good, thirst-quenching drink.

Beer's ideal ionic composition also helps prevent gall and kidney stones. With all that water, it's also a diuretic which can help keep the urinary tract open and prevent infection. Beer also has traces of zinc, copper and iron which can help with prostate gland problems. And the hops in beer have been linked to helping prevent blood clots.

So, for the good of your body and your soul, make a new, New Year's resolution. Take time to enjoy a few quiet beers on holiday this summer. Just make sure you also take care to drink responsibly.

* Beth Park is national beer quality manager for DB Breweries