The ancient Egyptians found a number of uses for beer as a mouthwash, an enema and a wound healer. While not necessarily endorsing these medicinal applications, UC Davis brewing scientist Charles Bamforth suggests that beer may possess many nutritional qualities that make the beverage part of an overall healthy and balanced diet.

"It appears that beer is at least on par with wine in terms of potential health benefits," says Bamforth, who published a review article on the nutritional qualities of beer in the January-February issue of the online scientific journal Nutrition Research.

He notes that beer contains antioxidants -- chemicals frequently found in plant-based foods that appear to protect against heart disease and some forms of cancer. Furthermore, beer contains several B vitamins, notably folic acid; certain useful minerals; and fiber.

He adds that there is a significant amount of research suggesting that alcohol in beverages may lower the risk of coronary heart disease by increasing the concentration in the bloodstream of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol -- sometimes called "the good cholesterol" -- and decreasing its accumulation on the inner walls of blood vessels. Findings from the many published studies in this area indicate that beer and wine are equally valuable as a source of this alcohol, Bamforth concludes.

"Brewers probably don't need to enhance the nutritional composition of their beers, but they might want to better position their products as part of a healthful diet," he says.

Bamforth cautions that nutritional content varies considerably depending on the ingredients and techniques used in processing the beer. And he stresses the unacceptability of excessive alcohol consumption.

Bamforth holds the Anheuser-Busch Professorship in Malting and Brewing Sciences in the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology.