St. Patrick’s Day celebrations may actually be good for you – if they include a pint of the Guinness Irish stout beer. It turns out that ads touting Guinness as being good for you really are true.

A 2003 American Heart Association study found that drinking a pint of Guinness each day can reduce the risk of blood clots that cause heart attacks.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin conducted tests to compare the health benefits of stout Guinness with lager Heineken.

They fed the two beers to dogs with clogged arteries and then measured the effects on the stickiness of blood-clotting cells. The results showed only the dogs that were fed Guinness had reduced clotting activity, making them less likely to have a heart attack.

Researchers said that dark stout beer, like Guinness, is packed with powerful antioxidant compounds called flavonoids, which can help reduce damage to the lining of arteries.

Other possible health benefits of drinking beer in moderation include protecting against type 2 diabetes, increasing good cholesterol levels, lowering the risk of developing dementia and improving cognitive function.

"People should realize that a little bit of alcohol on a regular basis decreases the risks of aging," Boston University School of Medicine’s Dr. R. Curtis Ellison told Forbes magazine.