Some bottles of beer
Crusoe Osagie presents some facts about beer manufacturing and consumption that are hardly told or believed, stressing the importance of the product to the economy.
Beer, an alcoholic beverage, has suffered serious stigma for decades and for obvious reasons.
When you visit the scene of a brawl for example, or some other scenes where violent crimes might have taken place, some of the things you are likely to find are signs that hard drugs might have been consumed around and then you probably find empty bottles of alcoholic drinks. Since beer is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks, it often takes the blame for all that happened.
With this behind the minds of many, it is hard to appreciate any other thing that might be positive about beer.
For example, the brewing industry currently employs more than 500,000 people. These are people who are mostly very well paid and contribute the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) along with significant personal income tax revenue to government.
This positive contribution of beer to the economy and society is often swallowed up in the groundswell bias against the product resulting from its misuse.
The brewing industry has about 50,000 distribution outlets in the country made up of wholesalers, hotels and clubs. The industry is operating in a moderately risky environment though economic fundamentals are still strong. However, as any adverse changes in economic conditions are not anticipated, it is expected that such inherent risk factors will reduce considerably.
The sector has also evolved from purely bottling activities to a diversified industry involved in the production of canned drinks and the use of tetra packs. The industry had an estimated production capacity of 1.3 billion litres as at 2002.
Crusoe Osagie presents some facts about beer manufacturing and consumption that are hardly told or believed, stressing the importance of the product to the economy.
Beer, an alcoholic beverage, has suffered serious stigma for decades and for obvious reasons.
When you visit the scene of a brawl for example, or some other scenes where violent crimes might have taken place, some of the things you are likely to find are signs that hard drugs might have been consumed around and then you probably find empty bottles of alcoholic drinks. Since beer is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks, it often takes the blame for all that happened.
With this behind the minds of many, it is hard to appreciate any other thing that might be positive about beer.
For example, the brewing industry currently employs more than 500,000 people. These are people who are mostly very well paid and contribute the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) along with significant personal income tax revenue to government.
This positive contribution of beer to the economy and society is often swallowed up in the groundswell bias against the product resulting from its misuse.
The brewing industry has about 50,000 distribution outlets in the country made up of wholesalers, hotels and clubs. The industry is operating in a moderately risky environment though economic fundamentals are still strong. However, as any adverse changes in economic conditions are not anticipated, it is expected that such inherent risk factors will reduce considerably.
The sector has also evolved from purely bottling activities to a diversified industry involved in the production of canned drinks and the use of tetra packs. The industry had an estimated production capacity of 1.3 billion litres as at 2002.
The current annual output of beer in the country is about 1.1 billion litres with Nigerian Breweries and Guinness accounting for over 86 per cent of the market. This translates to a total revenue of over N128 billion, representing approximately 1 per cent of nominal GDP.
Also, SABMiller entered the Nigerian market in 2008, and through its strategic alliance with Castel, it operates four breweries, the most recent of which was commissioned in Onitsha province in 2012.
SABMiller's breweries include International Breweries Plc (Ilesha), Pabod Breweries Ltd (Port Harcourt), Intafact Beverages Limited (Onitsha), Voltic Nigeria Ltd (Lagos) SABMiller’s portfolio of brands in Nigeria includes Hero Lager, Trophy Lager, Grand Lager, Trophy Lager, Castle Milk Stout, Castle Lager, Eagle and Redds.
Beer has a rich and fascinating history but its role in the social, cultural and economic development is little understood or appreciated. Back in the middle of the twentieth century, when diets were poor and nutritional levels often low, beers such as stouts were frequently prescribed by doctors as a quick and cheap way of giving patients access to deficient vitamins and minerals”, explains Dr. Jack Edmonds, a private General Practitioner, GP in Central London.
The brewery industry in Nigeria has a history that dates back to the pre-independence era. Beer of different brands was imported into Nigeria before the World War II. During and after the war, Nigerian elites started acquiring a taste for Continental European beer and there was a tremendous increase in the quantity of beer imported to Africa.
This obviously created an opportunity for a brewery to be set up in Nigeria. The then Nigerian Breweries Limited (NBL) was established amidst fierce competition among the leading brands.
Also, SABMiller entered the Nigerian market in 2008, and through its strategic alliance with Castel, it operates four breweries, the most recent of which was commissioned in Onitsha province in 2012.
SABMiller's breweries include International Breweries Plc (Ilesha), Pabod Breweries Ltd (Port Harcourt), Intafact Beverages Limited (Onitsha), Voltic Nigeria Ltd (Lagos) SABMiller’s portfolio of brands in Nigeria includes Hero Lager, Trophy Lager, Grand Lager, Trophy Lager, Castle Milk Stout, Castle Lager, Eagle and Redds.
Beer has a rich and fascinating history but its role in the social, cultural and economic development is little understood or appreciated. Back in the middle of the twentieth century, when diets were poor and nutritional levels often low, beers such as stouts were frequently prescribed by doctors as a quick and cheap way of giving patients access to deficient vitamins and minerals”, explains Dr. Jack Edmonds, a private General Practitioner, GP in Central London.
The brewery industry in Nigeria has a history that dates back to the pre-independence era. Beer of different brands was imported into Nigeria before the World War II. During and after the war, Nigerian elites started acquiring a taste for Continental European beer and there was a tremendous increase in the quantity of beer imported to Africa.
This obviously created an opportunity for a brewery to be set up in Nigeria. The then Nigerian Breweries Limited (NBL) was established amidst fierce competition among the leading brands.
The breweries sector in Nigeria is a sub sector of the food and beverages industry. The principal activities of brewery companies include the production, packaging and sales of alcoholic and malt beverages. Over the years, the sector has developed from a duopoly to a sector characterised by stiff competition, albeit with the dominance of two major players.
Despite the dominance of Guinness and Nigerian Breweries in the Nigerian beer market, evidence has shown that well-run regional breweries are very successful around the country.
Today, there are about 40,000 types of beer in the world in an industry that employs millions of people directly and indirectly. However, the world of beer is still shrouded in many myths and misconceptions. Some of these are easy to contemplate, while others, downright ridiculous.
“Beer gets a bad press, owning to many misconceptions. It’s regularly blamed for many of society’s ills but the reality is that society as we know it is, in large part at least, only here because of it. So, next time anyone tells you how evil beer is, remind them that some of the best ideas come when you drink,” Femi Agboola, a Lagos based marketing consultant.
Beer is an alcoholic beverage bearing a lot of benefits and myths. Scientists have confirmed that moderate drinker who drinks regularly but only in small amounts had lower body weights than their non-drinking peers and those who drank large volumes at once.
There are at least two ways in which an alcoholic beverage such as beer might impact beneficially on the body: First, through a direct physiological impact on bodily tissues and functions; Second, through indirect impact, but founded equally on a physiological interaction
Nutritionists agree that Beer is great for building stronger bones. This is because Beer has generous amounts of silicon which come from its primary ingredient, malt. Silicon is a well-known mineral necessary in the synthesis of strong bones because it works with calcium to improve bone density. Silicon is also known to enhance calcium metabolism so your body is better able to extract calcium out of the food you consume.
A 2011 study showed that pale ale is the beer that has the richest silicon content, so pale ale drinkers are more likely to benefit from its nutritional value than drinkers of other types of beer.
Another great nutritional value of beer, according to scientists is that it can be helpful when it comes to improving the heart’s health. This can be traced to the moderate amounts of alcohol in beer which acts as a vasodilator which is a chemical that relaxes the blood vessels and stimulates it to dilate.
Dilation of the blood vessels increases its size, lowering the work that the heart has to perform to pump blood to the various parts of the body. This is vital for lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases which are often caused by a fatigued and stressed out heart.
Beer has also been known to vastly improve kidney functions. Doctors explain that alcohol is a diuretic. It stimulates the secretion of urine as a normal mechanism for cleaning the alcohol out of one’s system. As it turns out, this repetitive urination stimulates the kidneys to perform better because it cleanses the bladder and kidneys from accumulated salts which often lead to the onset of kidney stones.
There are also studies that have shown how beer can mitigate the leaching of calcium from the bones to the blood stream; excessive leaching of calcium will eventually lead to a calcium build-up in the kidneys causing kidney stones. Minimising the leaching, therefore, minimises the precursor for kidney stones.
Beer also has been found to contain significant amounts of vitamins, particularly B-vitamins which are abundant in grains like malt and in hops. Because beer is primarily made from these ingredients, the B-vitamins are eventually transferred to the beer which can help improve digestive and brain functions.
Scientists also submit that the nutritional value of beer extends far beyond its alcohol content and also includes vitamins and minerals which are at the root of our belief in what constitutes as beneficial food.
Today, when many people are presented with an option of wine or beer, they typically choose wine due to the numerous health benefits it is believed to have. However, according to new health research, one shouldn't be too quick to dismiss the latter option. New studies on the health benefits of beer indicate that there are plenty of benefits to be gained from the drinking of beer.
However, these reports do emphasize that moderate consumption is the only way to fully receive all the health benefits associated with beer.
Most beers are made from very healthy ingredients including water and yeast as well as wheat and barley.
Presented and perceived as unhealthy, fattening and responsible for countless accidents, but in actual fact, beer contains zero fat; zero cholesterol. It also contains fiber, low calorie content - about as much as orange juice. Beer is rich in B vitamins and minerals (magnesium, silicon, potassium) and high in anti-oxidants.
Research on the fermentation process that results in the creation of beer has revealed that a number of the vitamins and antioxidants preset in these ingredients survive the process and are absorbed by your body every time you have a drink. As such, beer is a healthy source of fibre, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
Similar studies compared the calorific value of beer with those of other alcoholic beverages. While most may believe that beer is a large source of empty calories, the studies actually reveal that beer has a lower calorific value when compared to those of other alcoholic beverages.
Be all these scientific revelations as they may, the key word in getting some of these benefits from beer is moderation and therein lies the challenge which many people are faced with. Once they start drinking, they can hardly stop. It must be noted with extreme emphasis that only those who stick to the consumption of very sparing volumes of beer daily, can reap the benefits enumerated above.
Today, there are about 40,000 types of beer in the world in an industry that employs millions of people directly and indirectly. However, the world of beer is still shrouded in many myths and misconceptions. Some of these are easy to contemplate, while others, downright ridiculous.
“Beer gets a bad press, owning to many misconceptions. It’s regularly blamed for many of society’s ills but the reality is that society as we know it is, in large part at least, only here because of it. So, next time anyone tells you how evil beer is, remind them that some of the best ideas come when you drink,” Femi Agboola, a Lagos based marketing consultant.
Beer is an alcoholic beverage bearing a lot of benefits and myths. Scientists have confirmed that moderate drinker who drinks regularly but only in small amounts had lower body weights than their non-drinking peers and those who drank large volumes at once.
There are at least two ways in which an alcoholic beverage such as beer might impact beneficially on the body: First, through a direct physiological impact on bodily tissues and functions; Second, through indirect impact, but founded equally on a physiological interaction
Nutritionists agree that Beer is great for building stronger bones. This is because Beer has generous amounts of silicon which come from its primary ingredient, malt. Silicon is a well-known mineral necessary in the synthesis of strong bones because it works with calcium to improve bone density. Silicon is also known to enhance calcium metabolism so your body is better able to extract calcium out of the food you consume.
A 2011 study showed that pale ale is the beer that has the richest silicon content, so pale ale drinkers are more likely to benefit from its nutritional value than drinkers of other types of beer.
Another great nutritional value of beer, according to scientists is that it can be helpful when it comes to improving the heart’s health. This can be traced to the moderate amounts of alcohol in beer which acts as a vasodilator which is a chemical that relaxes the blood vessels and stimulates it to dilate.
Dilation of the blood vessels increases its size, lowering the work that the heart has to perform to pump blood to the various parts of the body. This is vital for lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases which are often caused by a fatigued and stressed out heart.
Beer has also been known to vastly improve kidney functions. Doctors explain that alcohol is a diuretic. It stimulates the secretion of urine as a normal mechanism for cleaning the alcohol out of one’s system. As it turns out, this repetitive urination stimulates the kidneys to perform better because it cleanses the bladder and kidneys from accumulated salts which often lead to the onset of kidney stones.
There are also studies that have shown how beer can mitigate the leaching of calcium from the bones to the blood stream; excessive leaching of calcium will eventually lead to a calcium build-up in the kidneys causing kidney stones. Minimising the leaching, therefore, minimises the precursor for kidney stones.
Beer also has been found to contain significant amounts of vitamins, particularly B-vitamins which are abundant in grains like malt and in hops. Because beer is primarily made from these ingredients, the B-vitamins are eventually transferred to the beer which can help improve digestive and brain functions.
Scientists also submit that the nutritional value of beer extends far beyond its alcohol content and also includes vitamins and minerals which are at the root of our belief in what constitutes as beneficial food.
Today, when many people are presented with an option of wine or beer, they typically choose wine due to the numerous health benefits it is believed to have. However, according to new health research, one shouldn't be too quick to dismiss the latter option. New studies on the health benefits of beer indicate that there are plenty of benefits to be gained from the drinking of beer.
However, these reports do emphasize that moderate consumption is the only way to fully receive all the health benefits associated with beer.
Most beers are made from very healthy ingredients including water and yeast as well as wheat and barley.
Presented and perceived as unhealthy, fattening and responsible for countless accidents, but in actual fact, beer contains zero fat; zero cholesterol. It also contains fiber, low calorie content - about as much as orange juice. Beer is rich in B vitamins and minerals (magnesium, silicon, potassium) and high in anti-oxidants.
Research on the fermentation process that results in the creation of beer has revealed that a number of the vitamins and antioxidants preset in these ingredients survive the process and are absorbed by your body every time you have a drink. As such, beer is a healthy source of fibre, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
Similar studies compared the calorific value of beer with those of other alcoholic beverages. While most may believe that beer is a large source of empty calories, the studies actually reveal that beer has a lower calorific value when compared to those of other alcoholic beverages.
Be all these scientific revelations as they may, the key word in getting some of these benefits from beer is moderation and therein lies the challenge which many people are faced with. Once they start drinking, they can hardly stop. It must be noted with extreme emphasis that only those who stick to the consumption of very sparing volumes of beer daily, can reap the benefits enumerated above.
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