It's Not Just For The Boys: 4 Healthy Reasons Girls Should Drink Beer

Beer often gets a bad rap. It's full of carbs and full of calories, which is the perfect combination for developing the dreaded "beer belly."

First, let's be clear: moderate drinking is considered to be one beer for women and two for men, so none of these benefits apply to binge-drinking.

While too much of any alcohol isn't good for your health, red wine is often in the limelight as the healthiest alcoholic beverage.

Of course, it's not untrue; the antioxidants and "good cholesterol" found in red wine are actually good for your heart and waistline.

However, studies have also shown that a good pint of craft beer also holds healthy benefits for not only your personal health, but for your social life and relationships as well. It wards off major ailments like heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

Some studies even show that drinking a pint a day can help reduce the possibility of heart disease by 30 percent. In addition to this, beer can help increase bone density, which leads to stronger bones and fewer fractures.

As if that wasn't enough, here are four reasons to choose a pint over a stem the next time you're at the bar:

It improves your social life.

Many major sports events and activities revolve around beer: football tailgates, basketball championships, Oktoberfest, etc. Several cities are quickly becoming major brewery hot spots, like Boston, Minneapolis, Portland and San Diego.

As cities are becoming booming brewery locations, more events within the metropolises revolve around beer, including beer runs to raise money for charity, trivia nights and exercise classes.

With so many activities revolving around beer, your friends will likely join in if a pint is promised.

Your taste in beer exposes your personality.

Just like someone's taste in wine and liquor, a person's taste in beer reflects his or her personality.

Those who like stouts and dark beers are different from those who enjoy wheat ales or IPAs or even cider beers (I still don't consider this an actual beer, but that's an argument for another time).

A girl who likes stout is tough and edgy, a girl who likes wheat beer is cool and collected and those who like all beers between are the girls who get along with everyone.

It'll help you get your vitamins.

Beer is full of antioxidants and B-vitamins, and just one 12-ounce beer accounts for about 12 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin B6.

In some studies, hops contain substances called prenylated flavonoids which are often believed to be a better source of antioxidants than other beverages, including red wine.

Hops also contain polyphenols, which help lower cholesterol, fight cancer and kill viruses.

So, besides your daily dose of blueberries (another food chock-full of antioxidants), drink your antioxidants and grab your favorite beer.

The world is all about diversity.

There's red wine and white wine. There's rum, gin, vodka and other alcohols, too. And then, there's beer and its multitude of different tastes range from lagers to ales to stouts to porters and everything in-between.

A beer can be home-brewed to your specific taste or contain ingredients ranging from chocolate and coffee to blueberries and oranges. The combinations are endless, and it is enjoyed in almost every country.

Beer is the most well-rounded beverage because it appeals to several different tastes, including, light, fruity, dark and heavy.

Some like it sweet, others like it bitter, but regardless of your choice, there's at least one beer out there for everyone.