Sit back and relax while drinking a beer during Gators games - the frothy beverage might actually be good for your heart.
According to an analysis by Italy's Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura, moderate consumption of beer could reduce the drinker's risk of heart disease by 31 percent.
The Italian foundation based its findings on about 200,000 people's habits of drinking beer, wine and spirits.
Previous health studies have indicated that the antioxidants in red wine could help reduce drinkers' risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
However, it shocks some that beer could also have health benefits.
Chelsea Egozi, a 21-year-old telecommunication senior, said she couldn't believe the study was real due to her dislike for the alcoholic beverage.
"Beer just tastes disgusting," she said. "The carbonation makes you burp."
While health sciences senior Dunja Zelihic, 21, has the same distaste for beer as Egozi, she said she isn't surprised that beer could be healthy.
"If wine can help, then I guess I see nothing wrong with a glass of beer," Zelihic said.
Alcohol can increase high-density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol levels, which can reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries and thickening of the blood, according to a Huffington Post article Wednesday. Both risks are direct contributors to heart disease.
This may challenge the belief that wine was healthy in spite of the alcohol - the drink may be because of it, the article noted.
According to the study, the best recipe for good heart health is an English pint of beer with a strength of 5 percent alcohol.
Maya Pugh-Jones, a 23-year-old sociology senior, enjoys two or three Indian Pale Ales with dinner a couple of nights a week. She said sitting back with a good beer is not only healthy physically but also mentally.
"Having a beer just takes the edge off," she said. "It's good for your psyche."
According to an analysis by Italy's Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura, moderate consumption of beer could reduce the risk of heart disease by 31 percent.
