So Guinness really is good for you

This past year (2009) has been an amazing one for 250th anniversaries, a number of which have stimulated contributions to this page.

Among other events, 1759 saw the opening of the British Museum (Prospector, 3 & 10 Jan, p18), the birth of Robert Burns (Footler, 24 January, p76), the birth of William Pitt the Younger (Bystander, 23 May, p627) and the foundation of the Royal Botanic Gardens (Didapper, 18 July, p80).

And before the year is over, we will have one last 250th birthday — that of the Guinness brewery on New Year’s Eve.

It was on 31 December 1759 that Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) signed a 9,000-year lease, at an annual rent of £45, on a small, disused and ill-equipped brewery at St James’s Gate, Dublin. The rest, as they say, is history, and Guinness is now available in 150 countries with some 10 million glasses enjoyed every day.

In Britain, Guinness has long been noted for the quality of its advertising campaigns, many of which have won awards. Among the most famous are the poster campaigns of the 1930s and ’40s, featuring the distinctive work of artist John Gilroy accompanied by slogans such as “Guinness for strength”, “My goodness my Guinness” and, most famously, “Guinness is good for you”.

Such slogans could not be used today because of a ban on health claims for alcoholic drinks. However, increasing evidence suggests that Guinness really is good for you. Medical experts largely agree that moderate consumption of beer and red wine is beneficial to health because they provide polyphenolic antioxidants.

In beers the source of the antioxidants is the roasted grain. Because their molecules are smaller, the antioxidants found in beer are more readily absorbed by the body than those found in wine. And dark beers such as Guinness have been shown to provide more antioxidants than lighter beer or red wine.

So, instead of toasting the new year with champagne, why not raise a glass of healthy Guinness? Or at least go half way with a black velvet cocktail — half a glass of Guinness with an equal quantity of champagne floating on top.

Here’s to 2010 and to Arthur Guinness and his health drink!