Health Benefits of Beer – Nutritional Facts and Side Effects

Amongst alcohol, beer is one of the major consumed and popular beverages. It contains less alcohol than other hard liquors and has numerous health benefits. The Health benefits of beer have a wide range as lowering the risk of cancer, diabetes control, preventing kidney stones, reducing cholesterol and blood clots, etc. It also helps with digestion, osteoporosis, bone health, and hypertension. This blog will discuss 10 health benefits of beer.

Furthermore, beer is high in vitamins that help maintain hemoglobin and treat anemia. It also protects the heart and helps to prevent various cardiovascular diseases.

Beer is a brewed malted barley and sometimes made of wheat or maize. It is an end product of fermented starch and sugar during the brewing process. It is also known as liquid bread and is regarded as a food rather than a beverage. A moderate amount of 1 drink for women and two drinks for men a day is considered beneficial for overall health.

Although excessive beer consumption may have adverse health consequences. They include blood sugar imbalances, alcohol dependence, depression, liver problems, cancer, or early death.

Table of Contents

Nutritional Values Of Beer

One standard bottle has the following nutritional value:

This table represents several nutrients and their amounts present in Beer:

Nutritional Value of Beer
Nutrients (in Beer)	Its amount
Calories	153
Protein	1.6 grams
Fat	0 grams
Carbs	13 grams
Niacin	9% of the Daily Value (DV)
Riboflavin	7% of the DV
Choline	7% of the DV
Folate	5% of the DV
Magnesium	5% of the DV
Selenium	4% of the DV
Vitamin B12	3% of the DV
Pantothenic Acid	3% of the DV
Alcohol	13. 9gm

Furthermore, it also contains trace amounts of zinc, calcium, iron, and potassium. Although it has all these minerals and vitamins but to meet your daily needs, you need to drink it in an excess amount which is hazardous to your health.

Also Read: Health Benefits of Ber/Jujube

Glycemic Index of Beer

The Glycemic index of beer is high which is around 100. In addition, the glycemic load of beer is very low as 7.5 because beer has low carbohydrate content.

Health Benefits Of Beer

Low to moderate quantities can have multiple health benefits. It has low carbohydrates and low GL which is good for diabetes and heart health. The right amount of intake can help prevent and treat multiple health conditions ranging from cancer to hair dandruff. There are numerous brands available in the market to suit everyone’s preferences. Let’s read the health benefits of beer.

Prevents Cancer

It helps in preventing cancer if consumed in a moderate amount. It has polyphenols to fight against various cancers. In addition, there is a compound named Xanthohumol, a flavonoid also used while brewing which works towards cancer prevention, especially prostate cancer.

Also Read: Benefits of Eating Apple

Good for Heart Health

According to many studies, moderate intake helps prevent various cardiovascular diseases. It improves good cholesterol HDL in the blood and helps the body to reduce cholesterol. In addition, the homocysteine in the beverage helps in thinning blood that removes the clots from the coronary arteries. An adequate amount also reduces inflammation and lowers the risk of atherosclerosis. These all positive effects work with an adequate amount of consumption. Overconsumption can increase the chances of stroke and heart disease.

Also Read: Benefits of Taking Sugarcane Juice

Prevents Kidney Stones

This alcoholic beverage is very effective in kidney stones. It has a high water content that removes all the toxins from the body, thus helping the kidney to work properly. A moderate amount of beer can also slow down the calcium release from bones and benefit it by preventing the formation of kidney stones.

Also Read: Multigrain Atta For Diabetes

Makes Bones Stronger

As per many studies, it was found that it helps in increasing bone density and bone formation, especially in men and postmenopausal women. Its nutritional components, including silicon, aid in the prevention of osteoporosis and the strengthening of bone health. People who drink beer have lower chances of fractures than those who do not.

Also Read: Benefits of Almonds

Helps in Anemia

This beverage has good nutritional components like Vitamin B12 and folic acid. They both help to treat anemia caused by the deficiency of these two compounds. It also aids in growth, brain power, and memory.

Also Read: Is Fish Good For Diabetics?

Reduces Cholesterol Levels

Beta-glucans, a soluble fiber, are found in barley used to make beer. It reduces cholesterol in the blood.

Also Read: Benefits of Amla

Helps Brain for Proper Functioning

It is one of the most notable advantages of this drink. It improves brain power and functioning by reducing cholesterol and increasing blood supply to the brain. As per studies, people who drink beer have a 23% lesser risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, or memory loss. It can be because of the silicon that prevents the brain from harmful aluminum present in the body.

Also Read: How Safe is Coconut Milk For Diabetics?

Good for Teeth, Skin, and Hair Health

It reduces tooth decay and other teeth problems by reducing bacterial formation in the mouth. It blocks bacterial growth and strengthens the teeth.

In addition, it is rich in Vitamin E which is gold for the skin. It also slows the process of aging and gives glowing skin.

It has yeast and Vitamin B that helps to get rid of dandruff and make hair smooth and shiny. There are multiple beer shampoos available in the market because of their impact on hair health.

Also Read: Can Diabetics Eat Jaggery?

Good for Digestion

The presence of soluble fibers in it helps in digestion. It has prebiotics that helps to grow good bacteria in the gut and improves digestion.

Also Read: Benefits of Sabja Seeds

Ways to Consume Beer

These health benefits only work with low to moderate consumption of it. Excess consumption has lethal and adverse effects on health. As per research, it is advisable to have one drink for women and two drinks for men every day for better results. It does not fulfill your daily nutritional requirements so having a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables is a good source of all nutrition.

Also Read: Is Garlic Good For Diabetes?

Side Effects of Beer

Whereas a moderate intake has multiple health benefits, too much consumption harms health.

• Heavy drinking can cause the risk of early death and can be lethal.
• It can make you addicted and alcohol dependent.
• Binge drinking can cause liver failure or cirrhosis because of the alcohol content.
• Excess consumption can negatively impact blood sugar levels.
• It can increase your weight or can be the reason for your belly fat. It can make you fat. One drink (355ml) contains 153 calories.
• It also triggers depression. The high consumption can lead to depression as compared to moderate drinkers.
• It is a diuretic that can lead to dehydration through urine and sweat on a hot day.
• Some people also can have heartburn because of the consumption due to some stimulants in it. These stimulants react with gastric acid and lead to gastric reflexes.
• Some research suggests that high intake can lead to cancers, especially throat and mouth cancer.
• It also has gluten protein that can be harmful to gluten-allergic people.

Also Read: Is Dalia Good for Diabetics?

Can Diabetics Drink Beer?

Beer has a high GI and carbohydrate content, which may cause your blood sugar to rise. It can also make you gain weight because it increases your appetite. It can also cause hypoglycemia. Although it is believed that moderate beer consumption does not raise blood sugar levels, we recommend that you avoid beer consumption. You can replace beer with other fruits and vegetables that provide the same nutrients while not raising your blood sugar levels.

Also Read: Benefits of Amla

Conclusion

A moderate amount of beer has various health benefits because of its nutritional value. It has protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are good for heart, bone health, diabetes, and kidney and brain functions. On the other hand, heavy drinking can be more harmful than beneficial and can lead to death. It can also lead to an addiction that eventually increases the risk of multiple health conditions.
Alcohol always has more negative sides than positive. You also can have these nutrients from other dietary options, fruits, and vegetables.

Read More: Is Banana Good For Diabetics?

FAQs:

Which is good, beer or wine?

Beer has many nutrients like Vitamin B, niacin, folate, selenium, fiber, and protein compared to wine. Also, it is a good option for managing sugar levels and avoiding the risk of heart diseases. 

Being a diabetic, how many beers can I drink in a day?

As per American Diabetes Association, one drink for women and two drinks for men is advisable for diabetic people. One drink size is 12 ounces.

Can beer increase blood glucose?

Beer has a good amount of carbohydrates that can increase your blood glucose levels but one can have it in a moderate amount. Also, like other alcohols, it increases appetite which is bad for weight loss and calorie cuts. 

Reference

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-beer-good-for-you#nutrition
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/7-science-backed-ways-beer-good-your-health-ncna788986Last Updated on July 22, 2022 by Dr. Damanjit Duggal 

A Beer a Day May Boost Your Gut Microbiome

Written by Denny Watkins

Aug. 10, 2022 – Can a beer a day keep the doctor away? That’s what new research from Portugal suggests.

In a pilot study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, men who drank one can of alcoholic or nonalcoholic lager a day for 4 weeks improved the diversity of their gut microbiome, the collection of microbes that live in the intestinal tract.

A more diverse gut microbiome is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and severe COVID. So, by promoting bacterial diversity, beer may help prevent these outcomes, the study suggests.

The findings stand out amid increasing evidence that no level of alcohol, even in small or moderate amounts, is good for you. This study indicates that a once-daily beer may benefit the gut microbiome regardless of its alcohol content, though nonalcoholic beer may still be the healthier choice.

“There are a lot of myths regarding beer,” says study author Ana Faria, PhD, a clinical nutritionist at NOVA Medical School in Lisbon, Portugal. “We think it is important to know the impact of moderate consumption of this beverage.”

Giving New Meaning to ‘Beer Gut’

For the study, 22 healthy men ages 23 to 58 were randomly split into two groups. One group drank 11 ounces of nonalcoholic lager every day for 4 weeks, while the other drank lager with 5.2% alcohol (comparable to a Budweiser).

At the end of the 4 weeks, analyses of blood and fecal samples revealed an increase in more than 20 types of helpful bacteria in the men’s digestive tracts in both groups. Neither group saw significant changes in body weight, body fat, blood sugar, or LDL cholesterol, the researchers report.

Beer is rich in healthy compounds called polyphenols, which reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut. This creates a good place for beneficial bacteria to grow, Faria says.

Fermented foods have also been shown to boost gut microbiome diversity, she notes, meaning the microorganisms from beer’s fermentation may contribute as well.

Is Beer a Health Food Now?

These findings both fit – and contradict – previous research exploring the impact of beer on the gut microbiome. One study, in the journal Alcohol in 2020, found that men and women ages 21 to 53 who drank 12 ounces of nonalcoholic beer a day for 30 days saw an increase in gut microbiome diversity. But a separate group who drank beer with 4.9% alcohol did not see the same improvement.

Why the different results between the two studies? It might come down to differences in the people who were studied, explains Khemlal Nirmalkar, PhD, an author on the 2020 study and a microbiologist at Arizona State University.

While the 2020 study included men and women in Mexico, the 2022 study involved only “healthy men” in Portugal. Gut microbiome changes can be influenced by gender and body mass index, other research has found. And the fact that people in the study lived in different communities may also have had an impact, the Portuguese researchers noted in a media statement.

But nonalcoholic beer appeared to boost microbial diversity in people in both studies across the board, Nirmalkar notes. For now, that means nonalcoholic beer is likely the better bet for gut health, though more research is needed.

“There definitely should be more studies in this field with different beers and different alcoholic contents,” Nirmalkar says.

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Beer can improve bowel function: scientists have named a daily dose

A new study shows that beer can have a beneficial effect on human health.

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It is believed that the microbial diversity in the human gut is essential to the health of the gut itself. A new study suggests that moderate beer consumption may have a positive effect on maintaining this diversity. And it doesn’t matter if you drink alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer, according to New Atlas.

Portuguese scientists have released a new small study that shows that moderate beer consumption can increase the diversity of gut bacteria. Scientists conducted an experiment that lasted 1 month, during which 22 healthy men drank 0.33 regular or non-alcoholic beer every day. During the study, the researchers continuously analyzed the participants’ blood and stool to learn about the status of bacterial diversity in the men’s guts.

At the end of the experiment, the results showed that the men had more microbial diversity in their gut than before the start of the study. Also, scientists came to the conclusion that such an amount of beer does not affect the increase in body weight, fat mass and does not increase the level of serum markers of the cardiovascular system and does not particularly affect metabolism.

Scientists believe that the increase in microbial biodiversity in the gut is due to certain components in beer, such as polyphenols and bacteria, that make it easier to ferment. At the same time, scientists believe that the safest thing for the health of not only the intestines, but the whole body is to refrain from drinking beer or other alcohol in general. Even despite the results of a new study.

Scientists believe that the increase in microbial biodiversity in the gut is due to certain components in beer, such as polyphenols and bacteria, that make it easier to ferment. At the same time, scientists believe that the safest thing for the health of not only the intestines, but the whole body is to refrain from drinking beer or other alcohol in general. Even despite the results of a new study

Photo: Men’s Health

Human risks for liver and heart disease still exist, scientists say. The researchers emphasize that the potential benefits of beer for the intestines do not depend on the type of beer, but still recommend non-alcoholic beer if drunk.

“Having microbial diversity in your gut is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It means you have a lot of different microbes there. This increases the likelihood that there are good microbes that are good for your gut. But it can be so that microbes, even with a large variety, do not perform the functions necessary for the body. Therefore, it is important not even how many of them are there, but what they do, “says Vincent Young from the University of Michigan, USA, who did not take part in the study, writes Healthline .

According to the American scientists, it is very difficult to draw unambiguous conclusions from the new study from the small sample of participants and because we still know very little about microbial populations in the intestines.

“We now know exactly as much about these microbes as we could learn if we were observing people on Earth through a telescope from the Moon. And at the same time we would try to understand what the role of each person in society is,” says a gastroenterologist from California Ashkan Farhadi.

Focus has already written that scientists have told which sleeping posture is good for the human brain.

We also remind you that scientists have found an unexpected effect on humans from smoking cannabis.

About beer – myths and reality.

MYTH 1. BEER IS SAFE ALCOHOL
DRINK.

Really
In fact, beer is more harmful than
moonshine and vodka
derived from alcohol
of the highest purity, so
as in progress
fermentation, poisonous
compounds – aldehydes, methanol, ethers, in which
10 times
more than in
vodka obtained from
alcohol of the highest purity.

MYTH 2 BEER ALCOHOLISM IS A CONFIGURED PROBLEM.

Actually, beer house
alcoholism is a serious psychological disease.
It is typical for him
complete denial of the disease.
For drinking beer
do not need covered
table or formal
reason to drink: to drink
can be alone, in
companies, houses,
street. Beer alcoholism is difficult to treat
alcohol addiction variant .

MYTH 3 . BEER
USEFUL THAT
REDUCES USE
VODKA.

Drinking 2-3
liters of beer, you
you can get a dose
ethyl alcohol equal to
a bottle of vodka. But psychologically you
protected: drinking a bottle of vodka
per day – a clear alcoholic,
and drinking 2-3 liters
beer – “ordinary” person.

In addition,
statistics show that vodka consumption
grows with
consumption of beer. Not in vain
there is a catchphrase – “Vodka without
beer – money down the drain.

MYTH 4. BEER IS USEFUL FOR
DIGESTION.

Most people
they remember that at first they didn’t
liked the taste of beer,
they found him disgusting and
bitter. However, drinking was perceived
teenagers as a symbol of adulthood.

Whatever
beneficial and healing
properties were not assigned
hops, its resin, being
carcinogens, do their
pernicious deed, in particular
contribute to the development of cancer of the digestive tract.

MYTH 5. BEER
USEFUL FOR THE CONTENT
IT HAS VITAMINS.

Many believe that
drinking beer, they satisfy their daily
need for almost
all necessary elements
and vitamins. Vitamins arrive
in beer in
mainly from malt,
rich in B vitamins.
beer brewing process
concentration of vitamins is inevitable
decreases and becomes insignificant.

MYTH 6 BEER BENEFITS
FOR KIDNEY.

Beer washes out
body proteins, fats,
carbohydrates and trace elements, especially
potassium, magnesium and
vitamin C. In case of deficiency
potassium breakdowns occur
heart rate, occurs
dry skin, pain in the calves,
weakness in the legs. magnesium deficiency
dangerous because
the background of the mood changes, the person becomes irritable, bad
sleeping. With vitamin washout
With reduced immunity, develops
brain hypoxia, suffering
intelligence, colds occur more often
diseases. Kidney through
miss themselves huge
amount of beer and purify
his.

MYTH 7. THE BENEFITS OF BEER
FOR GENERAL FUNCTION.