When you think of having a beer, you're not thinking about it as a health drink. However, it turns out, a cold one can have many health benefits.

Study up on the benefits of barley and hops below and we'll see you at the Cedar Rapids Beer Summit Saturday, March 11.

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    Lowers Heart Disease Risk

    Researchers in Italy have found that moderate drinkers of beer actually have a 42-percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who don't drink. The researchers say you should limit consumption to 16-ounces per day, with a variety that's about 5-percent alcohol.

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    Boost Your Creativity

    A study in Consciousness and Cognition studied 40 men who watched a movie while doing verbal puzzles. Those with blood alcohol content of .075 solved the puzzles faster than those that were sober.

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    Keep Type 2 Diabetes at Bay

    38,000 male health professionals were studied by Dutch researchers, and they found those who began to drink moderately over a 4-year period were much less likely to discover type 2 diabetes. A beer or two appears to be the key... moderation.

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    Help Prevent Kidney Stones

    If you've ever had a kidney stone, you NEVER want to have another one and a cold one could help. Finland researchers discovered that each bottle of beer a man drinks each day lowers his risk of kidney stones by 40 percent.

    The reason isn't easy to explain, but is believed to be the hops in beer.

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    Avoid Cataracts

    Researchers from Canada found that drinking a beer each day, especially a stout or lager, increases antioxidant activity that can keep cataracts from forming your eyes. Don't overdo it. The same researchers determined that three or more drinks per day actually increased the chances of cataracts forming.

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