For all of you who like to drink beer, here’s some good news: the heady brew has some health benefits, including those noted in a newly published study. Although this statement is not an invitation to begin drinking beer or to drink more of it if you already imbibe, the following explanation may give you and your friends a new perspective on the beverage.

At the entrance to your stomach is a valve, a ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES. Normally, the LES closes as soon as food passes through, however, if it does not, digestive acids produced by the stomach can move back up - or reflux – back into the esophagus. This can lead to burning chest pain called heartburn. If these acid reflux symptoms happen more than twice a week, you have acid reflux disease, also known as GERD.