A beer specialist has told food scientists that a swift ale is a better choice than fermented grape juice for health-conscious booze hounds, reports The Register. At the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting, Professor Charles Bamforth said: "Beer, if you looked at it holistically, is healthier than wine. But it is not perceived that way."

He cited the soluble fibre, vitamin B12, folic acid, niacin and antioxidants present in The Drink That Built An Empire. He said the alcohol component of beer has the same magic artery-unblocking prowess as in wine.

Even more chillingly, Bamforth said the custodians of people's health are among those peddling misinformation about beer. He said: "I have a friend who is a doctor who says, 'Don't drink beer because it has fat.' There's no fat in it at all."

Bamforth is Anheuser-Busch endowed Professor of Brewing Science at the University of California, which, delWine believes, may explain his bias.

To read the story, go to www.theregister.co.uk

( http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/28/beer_better_than_wine/ )