From MSN. Of course drinking beer also has many other amazing health benefits as reported by the press in the last two years. Red wine reduces the chance of heart disease, breast cancer and cider prevents you from getting any mates.

Whither this kind of silly season story? Its simple, journalists are inveterate boozers (as the number of half decent pubs in the previous press hinterland of Fleet Street show). So any whiff of a “beer is good for you” story is jumped upon like the Holy Grail – considering that – like most people journalists have probably come across the equally strong argument that beer is not good for you. And that’s an argument coming right from their booze soaked, hungover bodies the morning afterwards.

We live in a society which wishes to justify its vices. I say fie to this. Our vices are vices because they are bad for us. Yes, beer destroys your liver, whittles down the brain cells and dramatically increases the chance of serious injury on the way home. But drinking is also fun, the only normal way into a relationship and produces the finest conversation known to man. Surely this is an end in itself?