Does beer have health benefits?

From reduction in heart-related diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes to, recently, improving “intestinal microbiota” and “gut health,” beer is said to have several benefits. But there is a twist.

Recently, an Instagram post by @viceindia, which has more than 652K followers, claimed in bold capitals, “Science: One Beer a Day is Actually Good for Your Health.” The post had millions of interactions and close to 22K likes. It seems everyone on the internet becomes extra elated when a health advisory features the positive effects of alcohol. It is a psychology worth understanding—that when allowed to indulge in what is stigmatized because of known harms, people seem to lose all critical thinking and morality en masse. But the @viceindia post had fine print in the description (and a lot more …