Expert: Ed Westemeier - 8/9/2004

Question
Hello Ed
I cant find any proper place to ask this question but you may know or point me in the right direction.
A friend, who is a clever man, PHD in micro-biology, told me that beer is bad for mens prostrate gland. Something to do with the hops etc. In a way he was only passing on what a surgeon friend had told him.
He said "... dont have a couple of beers each night, (which I do and enjoy), but have a couple of glasses of red wine instead.
We all know that red wine is good for reducing colesterol but have you heard/read anything on this prostate possible problem?
thanks Gary

Answer
First, the obvious disclaimer:
I'm not a physician, and therefore I am not technically qualified to give medical advice.

With that out of the way, I can say that I've done more than enough research on this issue to say that I'm 100% convinced that:

1. Beer (the darker the better) has almost exactly the same GOOD health effects as red wine, and NO negative effects (taken in moderation).

2. There are some "alternative medicine" wackos out there who claim that any alcohol or cholesterol in your diet will automatically give you prostate cancer, but I have seen not one single study (in any reputable medical journal) that shows that link.

You're doing the smart thing in looking for other opinions. My advice is to relax and have your one or two beers each evening. That's guaranteed to reduce your overall stress level, which is the biggest health risk of all, in my humble opinion.

Hope that helps.

Ed