Vitamins - Putting the B in Beer

Guinness is Good for You, or so the advert goes. Pretty soon, it might not be the only pint with health benefits if health executives in Scotland have their way. The Scottish Executive is considering asking brewers to add Vitamin B1, or thiamin into beer in an effort to combat alcohol-related disease in Scotland. In a recent document, ministers claim the move could help reduce some forms of alcohol-related brain damage and may have further benefits. It argues that long-term alcohol abuse leads to deficiencies in thiamin and has called for further research into the practicalities and possible benefits of adding the vitamin to alcohol.

A spokeswoman for the Executive commented, "If adding this vitamin can reduce the suffering of chronically ill people then the executive has a responsibility to consider doing all it can to help".

The proposal has been titled Plan for Action and has received over £1m of public funds.

Tuesday, 12 March 2002