The book, by Jean-Jacques De Blauwe, contains more than its title (“Beer, an Asset for Good Health”)may suggest. Before explaining the health-giving effects of (moderate) beer consumption, the reader is treated to an uncommonly clear introduction to the various aspects of beer, such as its history, the existing legislation, the ingredients used, the successive stages in brewing and bottling, the different types of beer, the quality control methods and facts and figures on the scale of production and consumption. All this as an introduction to the two main chapters that discuss the composition and nutritional value of beer and its physiological effects.

Particular attention is paid to the role of the water used in brewing, and especially the alcohol content of beer, which is then compared with that of other alcoholic beverages. The energy value is explained, as is the whole metabolism, from mouth to liver, and the travel of the alcohol content in the blood, once again compared with that of other beverages. Data on proteins and amino acids is explained, plus the role of mineral salts, vitamins, trace elements, organic acids and aromatic elements present in the beer. The author closes by describing the functioning of the kidneys in processing beer, and the influence on the nervous system and on the cardiovascular system, with reference to the scientific data demonstrating that a moderate beer consumption is beneficial for the health.

The critical reader will note that the author is selective in his choice of scientific advisors. This is more visible, e.g., when he refers to some Belgian researchers who consider beer to be a major asset in the battle against alcoholism. The final chapter is dedicated to the art of beer-drinking, in the home or elsewhere. The author, engineer Jean-Jacques De Blauwe, is an authority on the subject of beer. He was technical manager of a French brewery, then quality control manager with the group l’Européenne de Brasseries and finally spent ten years as director with Kronenbourg. He is the author of a number of studies on beer. His book deserves shelf space in any beer-lover’s home.

The book, by Jean-Jacques De Blauwe, contains more than its title (“Beer, an Asset for Good Health”)may suggest. Before explaining the health-giving effects of (moderate) beer consumption, the reader is treated to an uncommonly clear introduction to the various aspects of beer, such as its history, the existing legislation, the ingredients used, the successive stages in brewing and bottling, the different types of beer, the quality control methods and facts and figures on the scale of production and consumption. All this as an introduction to the two main chapters that discuss the composition and nutritional value of beer and its physiological effects.

Particular attention is paid to the role of the water used in brewing, and especially the alcohol content of beer, which is then compared with that of other alcoholic beverages. The energy value is explained, as is the whole metabolism, from mouth to liver, and the travel of the alcohol content in the blood, once again compared with that of other beverages. Data on proteins and amino acids is explained, plus the role of mineral salts, vitamins, trace elements, organic acids and aromatic elements present in the beer. The author closes by describing the functioning of the kidneys in processing beer, and the influence on the nervous system and on the cardiovascular system, with reference to the scientific data demonstrating that a moderate beer consumption is beneficial for the health.

The critical reader will note that the author is selective in his choice of scientific advisors. This is more visible, e.g., when he refers to some Belgian researchers who consider beer to be a major asset in the battle against alcoholism. The final chapter is dedicated to the art of beer-drinking, in the home or elsewhere. The author, engineer Jean-Jacques De Blauwe, is an authority on the subject of beer. He was technical manager of a French brewery, then quality control manager with the group l’Européenne de Brasseries and finally spent ten years as director with Kronenbourg. He is the author of a number of studies on beer. His book deserves shelf space in any beer-lover’s home.

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