One dose dilutes the beer with water by half. The benefit is purely from antioxidants in beers. One lager beer per day may be beneficial. It is another source of antioxidants to add to the pools that we get from foods. But researchers point out that what we don't know about beer is more than what we do.
More research is needed to understand how beer works in the body and how it can be helpful.
In addition, this study was conducted in animals, so there is no evidence that these same results would occur in people. John Finley, PhD, associate editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , says that the study not only confirmed previous findings but also provides further evidence that drinking beer in moderation may be heart healthy. But Finley cautions that drinking more won't yield greater benefit. Hong Mautz is a senior news writer for CBSHealthWatch by Medscape. She was a reporter for the CNN International affiliate in Hong Kong and was most recently an associate producer at CBS News.