Could the key to gut health be a cold one?

A new nutritional study says beer could be just as good for your tummy health as probiotics.

Scientists say beer’s conversion in the gut helps to bring diversity to its microbiome just as well or, at times, even better than probiotics.

The study explained ““When beer is consumed in moderation, the phenols and other nutrients it contains are fermented and broken down…which promote changes in the abundance of beneficial flora, also exerting a range of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects”.

The review also suggested that these “immunomodulatory effects” may be attributed to “the interaction between beer’s polyphenols, fibre and ethanol as they work together to enhance the development of a healthy gut microbiome” but admitted that the findings called for further study to confirm whether “beer can be used as a micro-ecological regulator in the future”.

It added: “Combining these results of studies in humans and animals, there is a consensus that moderate beer consumption has a beneficial effect on the immune system compared to states of alcohol abuse or abstinence.