title: [Could the moderate consumption of beer be included within a healthy diet?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Beer is a beverage that has been usually included in our habitual diet from immemorial time. However, beer consumption depends on food habits and lifestyle in different populations. In Mediterranean countries, fermented beverages like beer, takes up a key space in the Mediterranean diet that has been declared in 2010 as Cultural Immaterial World Heritage by UNESCO.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The positioning where the Spanish Society of Primary Care Medicine and the Beer and Health Information Centre have conjointly worked on has the following beer consumption-related aims: a) to update its knowledge based on the scientific evidence; b) to evaluate the possibility to include it within a healthy diet for healthy adults; c) to inform health professionals and the general population about its possible health benefits.
  
  
  METHODS
  A panel of experts, represented by clinicians and researchers in the field of nutrition held a meeting with the purpose to review the scientific literature related to the effects of the moderate consumption of fermented beverages, particularly beer, and to reach a consensus on the results, conclusions and recommendations suggested and established by other experts at an international level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The current scientific evidence reflects that moderate consumption of beer does not affect anthropometry related variables. Although energy supply from beer is very low, its nutrients and bioactive compound contents are interesting, since its potential antioxidant effect together with the fact that anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects have been demonstrated, as well as its beneficial effect on cardiovascular health, leading to a greater protection than even in the abstemious population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In view of the results obtained from the literature consulted by the expert panel, we can conclude that the moderate consumption of beer can be considered within a healthy diet. Nevertheless, the general recommendation is addressed only to healthy adults, never to children, adolescents or pregnant women. In the case of elderly people, any beverage containing alcohol should not be recommended for those who are treated with drugs in order to avoid possible interactions with alcohol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de metabolismo y nutrición, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos y Nutrición, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. FENS, Madrid, España. Electronic address: amarcos@ictan.csic.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.affiliation: Centro Salud Rosa de Luxemburgo, Coordinadora del Grupo de trabajo de Nutrición de la Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López Díaz-Ufano
authors.affiliation: Centro de Salud Palleter, Castellón, España.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pascual Fuster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001515:Beer; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D013030:Spain
keywords: Adultos sanos; Beer; Cerveza; Consumo moderado; Dieta; Enfermedad cardiovascular; Healthy adults; Healthy diet; Moderate consumption; Obesidad; Oxidación