From Marketwatch.com:

Don’t put down your Oktoberfest stein just yet. The Great American Beer Festival in Denver is just getting started.

Fans of the beverage, rejoice: Beer may have a bad reputation for its empty calories and the “beer bellies” but, some research suggests, it could have some health benefits. For 35 years, Americans have been celebrating beer at the festival. The event has unlimited one-ounce tastings of more than 3,500 beers, plus competitions between some 800 breweries.

Also see: How everything changed for a craft beer brewer after it sold itself to MillerCoors

How could beer actually be good for you?

Beer could lower the risk of diabetes, according to a Danish study published this week in the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Among 70,000 people, including both drinkers and non-drinkers, the lowest risk of diabetes was in the group of men who had 14 drinks a week and women who had nine drinks a week. “Moderate drinking is key here,” said Michelle Dudash, a registered dietitian and author of “Clean Eating for Busy Families.” Like wine, it does not contain any added sugar once it’s fermented.