It’s a well-known fact that it is not easy to be a mother, and that every mom needs some help from time to time (or every day).
In the 1960s some women used the tranquilizer valium, or what the Rolling Stones called “Mother’s Little Helper,” for that purpose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfGYSHy1jQs
But before valium, there were other products that could help a mom. For instance, if you lived in the Philippines in the 1930s, you had San Miguel beer.
What was so good about San Miguel? Well it had “the blood-enriching properties that tone up the appetite and aid digestion.”
Hmmm. . . somehow I don’t think the mom in this picture is excited because her appetite is getting “toned up.” My guess would be that she is happy to finally let the alcohol relax her brain so that she can get a break from that kid in her arms.
Either way, drink up mothers!! “Your baby will suffer” if you don’t.
For the sake of science, social or otherwise, i’ve experienced the “toning qualities” of San Mig. Cerveza Negra (dark beer for the unfamiliar) and believe that 21st century science supports the claims from the 1930’s .
“… Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, examined 40 types of beer from around the world and found that, on average, dark beers have free iron content of 121 parts per billion (ppb) compared to 92 ppb in pale beers and 63 ppb in non-alcoholic beers.
Iron is an essential mineral that is need to make a part of blood cells. Iron helps carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles and other organs, so when your iron intake is low, oxygen circulates more slowly, which can leave you feeling tired, sluggish and irritable.
While iron is found in meat, beans, grains and some veggies, it’s estimated that only 65 to 70 percent of all Americans meet their daily recommended intake. Because of menstruation, women are particularly prone to low iron. …”
While meat is essentially the center of the modern Filipino diet and a major, non-supplemental source for iron, was it readily as available then as it is today?
Thanks for this information!! I think I will need have to engage in some “scientific” experiments in order to test this hypothesis. . .