By Elena Voropay

Every now and then you find yourself stuck inbetween two worlds – gym and reality. One day you are pumping iron and revealing razor-sharp definitions of muscles, another day you are stuck in the pub with your buddies gobbling on beer and potato wedges. Is there an escape, or at least a justification? You bet! Here is your chance to figure it out for yourself.

In the Middle Ages, beer was safer to consume than water. And until recently some countries gave pregnant women a half-pint of Stout a day because it was considered nutritious. Nowadays, the industry does a poor job of promoting the good side of beer due to the rising problems of alcoholism and obesity. But moderate consumption of beer on occasion can serve your muscles, health and soul a good purpose.

Sipping on a highly carbonated beer can settle a stomach just like Seven-Up or Sprite can. Plus, the alcohol helps buffer pain. The only time you have to be careful is if you have an ulcer or gastritis. Alcohol can inflame that.

Studies all over the world prove that moderate consumption of beer and wine is an excellent contribution to your health. Reported in the most prestigious medical, evidence sugests that beer protects against colon cancer, atherosclerosis, cataracts and heart disease.

A recent study done by the French National Institute of Health claims that moderate amounts of alcohol improve brain function. Older women who drank two or more glasses of beer or wine daily were 2.5 times more likely to score in the top 10 % on neuropsychological tests than non drinking women (it's not the more you drink, the better you score).

Beer also contains liberal amounts of calcium for muscle contraction, phosphorus for metabolism of nutrients, magnesium for relaxation of muscles, and potassium for fluid balance and nerve transmission. In addition, iron and copper help blood production, zinc is necessary for production of insulin, and fluoride protects your teeth from cavities. Add to this list folic acid for protein synthesis and Niacin, and you have the perfect dietary supplement. Two beers a day provides 14 percent of dietary calories, 11 percent of amino acids, 12 percent of carbohydrates, 9 percent of dietary Phosphorus, 7 percent of dietary Riboflavin and 5 percent of Niacin. A pint of beer also contains between 10 percent and 30 percent of the recommended intake of soluble fiber.

Hops, used as a flavoring in beers, is a better source of antioxidants than red wine, green tea, citrus fruits, and soy products. Hops is also beneficial to the urinary tract, and has a cleansing effect on the human body. Beer is a source of soluble fiber which is derived from the cell walls of malted barley. A liter of beer contains an average of 20 to 60 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber. As well as aiding healthy bowel function, this has a further benefit by slowing down the digestion and absorption of food, contoling blood sugar, preventing insulin spikes, and keeping hunger at bay.

Beer is comparably a low-calorie drink. A twelve ounce glass of beer has about 130 calories; only mineral water, coffee and tea (without milk or sugar), skim and butter milk have fewer calories than beer. So, where do "beer bellies" come from? It's the nachos dripping with cheese, chips, peanuts, chicken wings, and pizza often consumed with beer that add up all the extra "energy" stored for, hum, later use.

Beer also has an important property of optimizing metabolism through relaxation. When we're stressed out, over-worked, and under-slept, we will have hormonal imbalances that increase the production of hormon cortisol -- a powerful appetite stimulant that will cause us to overeat and store fat. In fact, cortisol is the hormone that counteracts the production of your Growth Hormone. This in turn will not only serve as an obstacle to building muscle mass, but will destroy existing muscle cells, reduce your strength and metabolizm, worsen mood, and make you restless and irratable. So, what's the best medicine? That's right, beer. Beer has a calming effect on exhausted nerves and relaxes your muscles due to presence of magnesim, phosphorus and B-vitamins found in beer. As Henry Lawson once said, "Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer".

So, is there anything bad at all that will force you to obstain from beer? To begin with, beer is an alcoholic beverage. The shortcomings of any alcohol come in play when consumed in excessive amounts.

If you spend quite a bit of time in the gym, you might want to reconsider your friends' invitation for getting wasted. Alcohol use inhibits muscular protein synthesis, which is essential for muscle growth and development. Alcohol adversely influences the anabolic properties of three principal growth promoting hormones, Insulin, Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). This will slow down your muscular development despite your hard training sessions and a good diet.

American College of Sports Medicine stated that drinking low amounts of alcohol can improve your balance and coordination, resulting in clearer movements. But with that, you will also get slower reaction time and decreased eye-hand coordination. And don't just get ready to compete in a tennis match when you are drunk. Once you reach moderate consumption mark, alcohol will negatively affect all mentioned aspects of physical performance. Chronic dependence may even damage muscles and lead to permanent weakness.

So, you are on a diet? Drinking just one 12-ounce bottle of beer every day and without altering your diet or your exercise regime will make you gain about 7 kilos over the course of a year. The question is not whether or not beer makes us fat, but whether the amount of energy we consume with foods and drinks is greater than what we use through work and exercise. So, if you gulp beer calories on top of your maintenance allowance, you will gain weight. In case you are in the 'gain' phase of your training, a couple of beers now and then wouldn't hurt. But for dieteres the task may be a little challenging – never substitute beer calories for nutritious vegetables, fruits and lean meats. You can count alcohol as your fat or carb intake, 'eat well' otherwise, and you will not add a centimeter to your waist.

The latest hype about low-carb diets is not letting your blood sugar to rise too high and preventing insulin spikes. Alcohol generally lowers your blood sugar and as a result you can actually gain weight. When you drink and your blood sugar goes down, your appetite is stimulated. This disrupts your ability to tell when you've had enough to eat causing you to consume too many unwanted calories. And finally, your hormone and energy levels will be disrupted creating fatigue.

When it comes to nutrients, beer is loaded with them. But orange juice actually supplies four times the potassium plus twice the carbohydrates found in the bubbly malt. And it would take 11 beers to obtain the B-vitamin recommended daily allowance, says the American College of Sports Medicine.

Alcohol affects the body’s every system, linking it to several pathologies, including liver cirrhosis, ulcers, heart disease, diabetes, myopathy, bone disorders, and mental disorders. Alcohol dehydrates you, it interferes with the absorption of many nutrients and excessive consumption has been linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, abnormal heart rhythms, cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus, decreased immune function, gout and hypoglycemia.

Beer and other alcoholic beverages can be enjoyed on occasion, but only in moderation - one or two drinks per day. Just pay attention to rehydrating your body. Beer is a diuretic and promotes dehydration. For every glass of beer consumed drink two cups of water. Always eat solid food when drinking - that will slow absorption and minimize intoxication. Take precaution if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have other health problems. And of course, do not drink and drive.

I work until beer o'clock. --Steven King

Everyone needs something to believe in...and I believe I'll have another beer. -- Steve Phelps