We've
known for a while now that moderate wine-drinking can confer some health
benefits.
Now
a recent study reveals moderate beer consumption can also reduce the risk of
heart disease by 31%. So what's behind this unexpected health benefit?
Researchers
at Italy's Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura combined several different studies
conducted in the last few years that allowed them to explore the possible link
between beer drinking and cardiovascular disease, with a data set of over
200,000 people. They found that regular, moderate beer drinking carries almost
exactly the same health benefit that has previously been demonstrated for wine
consumption, as moderate beer drinkers enjoy a 31% reduced risk of
cardiovascular disease compared to non-drinkers. The best combination, they
discovered, was drinking slightly more than an English pint's worth of beer
containing 5% alcohol each day.
As
lead author Simona Costanzo explains, the reduction in cardiovascular risk is
nearly identical for beer and wine, despite earlier assumptions that only wine
could carry such benefits:
"In
our research, we considered wine and beer separately: you first observe a
reduction in cardiovascular risk with low to moderate drinking. Then, with an
increasing consumption, you can see that the advantage disappears, until the
risk gets higher. The interesting part of our research is that, among the
studies selected for this meta-analysis, there were 12 in which wine and beer
consumption could be compared directly. Using these data we were able to observe
that the risk curves for the two beverages are closely overlapping."
These
results raise a tricky question - where exactly is this health benefit coming
from? Wine and beer have largely different chemical compositions, with the
rather obvious exception of alcohol itself. These results might well indicate
that alcohol itself actually plays a part in reducing the risk of heart
disease. That would be a departure from previous studies, which had assumed the
benefits of wine were purely in spite of alcohol, never because of it. This may
mean the pros and cons of alcohol and alcoholic beverages are more complicated
than previously assumed.
Of
course, there is another possibility, namely that the health benefits of wine
and beer have little to do with the beverages themselves. Instead, the benefits
mostly come from the healthier lifestyles that are associated with regular,
moderate drinking, and compare favorably to heavy drinkers and non-drinkers
alike. All available evidence does indeed indicate that this lifestyle
difference is a huge factor in why wine and now beer provide this health
benefit. What's currently unclear is whether the content of the drinks adds to
or detracts from the lifestyle component.
The
majority of people will be going down to their local pub to sit in the beer
garden and enjoy the glorious weather for a date this springtime, according to
a recent survey.
Findings
by Real Time Market Research Company Usurv reveal that the traditional cosy pub
is the best place to go for a first date during spring as a massive 62% of
Brits confessed that this is their ideal date location.
The
study found that most males and females opt to sit in their local watering hole
when dating and that only 14% of singletons surveyed said they would like to go
on a date to the zoo or the park.
The
pub is a great place to go if you want to get to know someone in a casual environment
but the park and zoo are can be more adventurous.
Interestingly,
more males admitted that they favoured the zoo as opposed to females as 15%
said they considered it as a brilliant date location in comparison to 13% of
women.
Furthermore,
6% of Brits chose the theme park as a great place to go on a date in spring and
this was more popular with males than women. The theme park is perfect for an
action-packed fun date but it isn’t ideal for non-thrill seekers.
The majority of people in high school and in college said the pub
and a whopping 80% studying a Bachelor’s Degree said the public house too.
- The majority of people in high school and in college said the pub
and a whopping 80% studying a Bachelor’s Degree said the public house too.
- In terms of income, nothing really differed however 100% of those
surveyed who were unemployed said the pub.
- And it seems that age is just a number because 100% of daters over
the age of 60 said the pub as a great date location in contrast to only 57% of
18-29 year olds.
Whatever
setting you like to visit on a date this Spring, make sure you visit us here at
the Shepherd & Flock … you will be most welcome!!
The
tradition of a special day to honour your mother could go back to when the
Romans honoured their goddess of motherhood in the Spring with the feast of
Matronalia. Or, it could have emerged from the custom of mother worship in
ancient Greece. Mother worship, which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother
of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus, was held on March 15 to March 18 around
Asia Minor.
However,
Mothering Sunday, otherwise known as Mother's Day, has been celebrated in
Britain on the fourth Sunday in Lent since at least the 16th century.
The
custom possibly originated in the church festival of "Refreshment
Sunday" when everyone was expected to revisit the church in which they
were baptised, their "mother church", which of course meant they
usually got to see there mums again!
It
is a small step from honouring Mother Church to honouring our natural mothers
and so in the mid-17th Century the custom grew of children paying special
tribute to their mothers on this day.
Mothering Sunday became more established by
the 18th and 19th Centuries when many people worked away
from home as servants to the rich and wealthy (especially girls in service such
as cooks and maids), they would be allowed to go home for the day to visit
their home church and so naturally they visited their families.
By
the 1920's and '30s, the centuries-old traditions of Mothering Sunday had started
to fade in the UK. Then along came World War II. During those dark and trying
days, North American soldiers - lonely and missing their girlfriends, wives and
mums - revived interest in Mothering Sunday by celebrating their own version of
this day: "Mother's Day."
Reminded
by visiting soldiers of just how special this day still was, UK families once
again began celebrating Mothering Sunday with enthusiasm.
Nowadays
the greeting card industry makes a fortune and it is more usual for families to
get together and take their mother out for a meal in a restaurant - booking is advisable!
Or buy chocolates and flowers (the price
of flowers goes through the roof).
It is also common for the younger children to
prepare their mother breakfast in bed, and the mother must eat it no matter how
badly burnt the toast is, or how cold the tea is!
Today,
Mothering Sunday in the UK is often called "Mother's Day" and is
regarded as more or less synonymous with "Mother's Day" as celebrated
in other countries around the world, though many still prefer the more
historically accurate "Mothering Sunday."
What
do you think? Is it time to change the name of this day from "Mothering Sunday"
to "Mother's Day"?
Our recently launched VIP scheme is proving to be very popular with our
regular customers here at the Shepherd & Flock.
We have long recognised the value of our customers.
And that was behind our thinking when we put together our VIP loyalty
card.
Importantly the membership is FREE of charge and below are the current
main benefits of our scheme:
·
Birthdays: we will
give you a £10 voucher. And to recognise that birthdays only come once a year …
we’ve also included a £5 voucher for your ‘half way birthday’ … in effect we’re
recognising your birthday twice a year!
·
Spouse/Partner
Birthday: Our package includes a free bottle of house wine to celebrate their
birthday
·
Wedding Anniversary:
You’ll benefit from our ‘2 for 1’ on main meals
·
Selected events
throughout the year including:
o February (Valentine’s month) a
free bottle of house wine
o Mother’s Day month: You’ll get a £10 voucher
o Father’s Day month: A free dessert
o Halloween month: Another £10
voucher …
And, as if that wasn’t enough … you’ll also receive 1 point for every
pound spent on food here at the Shepherd & Flock.
·
If you spend £200 on
food you’ll receive a thank you voucher for £20
The total value of this amazing package – assuming that you take up all
the offers and spend enough for one £20 voucher is … £110!
And who says you get nothing for FREE?
To join up is very simple.
Call us NOW on 01252 716675 or pop in for a form … hurry it’s Mother’s
Day soon!
.
