Alcohol-free beer may cut heart disease risk

London, Dec 25 (ANI): Here's some good news for alcohol lovers - a pint of beer sans alcohol can help cut the risk of heart disease.

Scientists from University of Valencia in Spain found that alcohol-free beer can help reduce high levels of cholesterol, and protect the heart.

The tipple not only helps reduce potentially hazardous build up of fat in the arteries, but also increases the levels of antioxidants in drinkers' blood.

This might be due to the vitamins present in the beer, such as vitamin B6, which helps to lower the effect of a chemical linked to an increase in the risk of heart disease, reports the Telegraph.

For the study, the researchers recruited 29 nuns aged between 58 and 73 and examined the effects of drinking moderate levels of alcohol-free beer.

Over the period of 45 days the women were all asked to drink 500 ml of the beer a day, on top of their normal eating and drinking habits.

The scientists collected blood samples on the morning before the study started and again on the morning after it finished, to test the effects of the drink.

They found that drinking the beer increased the amounts of antioxidants in the women's blood.

Moreover, those with high cholesterol at the start of the study also found that it had lowered significantly by the end.

The researchers believe that the study proves that alcohol-free beer can cut the risk of heart disease.

The study appears in journal Nutrition. (ANI)