Cheers to that! Just ONE pint of beer boosts heart health by improving blood flow and make arteries more flexible Drinking two-thirds of a pint improved blood vessels within 3 hours Same effect was not observed in non-alcoholic beer however Findings support the growing body of evidence that moderate beer consumption may protect against heart disease The average Briton drinks 130 pints of beer per person a year Just one pint of beer is enough to improve the state of major blood vessels around the heart, new research shows. Arteries became more flexible and blood flow improved within a couple of hours of drinking the equivalent of two-thirds of a pint. But alcohol-free beer did not have the same powerful effect, the study found. Drink up!: Greek researchers found that drinking just small quantities of beer helped boost circulation which is crucial to heart health The findings, by researchers in Greece, support previous evidence that moderate beer consumption may protect against heart disease. Some evidence suggests a pint a day may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 30 per cent. But this is believed to be one of the first studies to look at what actually happens to the cardiovascular system immediately after a pint is downed. Britain guzzles its way through 130 pints of beer per person a year. Scientists at Harokopio University in Athens recruited 17 non-smoking men aged in their late twenties and early thirties. The research adds to the body of evidence that beer helps to maintain a healthy heart Each one had their cardiovascular health measured within an hour or two of drinking 400ml of beer - equivalent to just over two-thirds of a pint. They later they had the same tests done after drinking the same amount of alcohol-free beer or a measure of vodka. Researchers tested for endothelial function - a measure of how easily blood passes through major arteries - as well as aortic stiffness, a check designed to assess whether blood vessels are nice and relaxed or beginning to harden. The results, published online in the journal Nutrition, showed all three drinks had some beneficial effect on the stiffness of arteries but beer had the greatest benefit. In a report on their findings the researchers said: "Endothelial function was significantly improved only after beer consumption." They said the combination of alcohol and antioxidants in beer may be crucial to the drink's healthy effects. Darker beers, like stouts and ales, have been shown to be better for the heart than lager. Heart disease is Britain's biggest killer. Around 270,000 people a year suffer a heart attack and nearly one in three die before they reach hospital. Fatty diets, lack of exercise and smoking are all key risk factors. Although excess alcohol consumption is thought to increase the dangers of heart disease, moderate intake of beer and wine has been shown to have a protective effect.