Whether Irish or not, many of us will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day by knocking back a pint or two of Guinness — and don't forget the Irish soda bread [1]! Before you start feeling too bad about the alcohol and carb overload, you'll be glad to know that those ads from the 1920s that read "Guinness Is Good For You" have some truth to them.

Researchers from a University of Wisconsin study [2] discovered that drinking Guinness can help reduce blood clots and the risk of heart attacks. Like red wine and dark chocolate — and unlike other beers — Guinness contains immune-boosting antioxidants. Some other reasons you may want to enjoy a pint of beer on St. Paddy's Day: better bones [3], weight management [4], and a better memory [5]. It also doesn't hurt that Guinness contains fewer calories and carbs [6] than a good majority of popular full-strength beer sold in markets.

This is not a license to go out and get blitzed, though. As always, everything is better in moderation, but if you end up kicking back a few too many, check out these hangover cures [7].