Beer drinkers may have yet another reason to hoist a cold one -- but make that just one.
According to a new study out of Canada, beer has the same heart-healthy benefits as red wine.

Researchers at the University of Western Ontario found that drinking one beer provides the same increase in antioxidant activity in the body as a glass of red wine, which has long been touted for its medicinal properties.

Three beers had an adverse effect on antioxidant activity, according to the study, which will appear in the December journal of Nonlinearity in Biology, Toxicology and Medicine.

"You get the optimum effect at one beer," said lead researcher John Trevithick.

The new study was funded by Guinness and Labatt, but Trevithick insisted the beermakers had no influence on the outcome. In 2003, a University of Wisconsin study found that Guinness was more effective than light beer at preventing blood clots that could cause heart attacks.

Trevithick stressed moderation, adding that people should generally choose dark beer over light beer because of higher levels of antioxidants.

Source: Diabetes In Control.com.