You don’t need more reasons to drink beer in moderation. It is salubrious. This has been established. But it never hurts to have additional validation of this claim, another arrow in the quiver when hectored by stiff-necked puritans. So there is this analysis, which says that people who enjoy a daily pop were 23 percent less likely to experience signs of memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease. And now it turns out even non-alcoholic beer is good for you, if you are a young (fortyish) and training for a long run. The study, reported in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that drinking 1.5 liters a day (yes, this was in Germany) reduced post-race inflammation and upper respiratory tract infections. This means a faster recovery. The authors note that naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds in non-alcoholic beer have “strong anti-oxidant, anti-pathogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties.” Actual beer has also been established as a superior fluid for rehydrating after a workout. Yes, superior to water. So there.

(Photo by Tim ‘Avatar‘ Bartel via Wikimedia Commons.)