A lot of times, beer lovers and beer geeks like us have heard that beer is a foodstuff, that it’s good, that it’s bad, that it causes weight gain, etc. But, Is it true? What is true? How many is an urban legend, and how many is a truth? Beer, Is a healthy beverage, or is it just a strategy of the majors to sell more bottles? Well, this post talks about all of this. Given that it’s a very controversial topic, and given the paranoid about all those things related to nutrition, we’ll split this post into two parts: the first (this one), about the nutrition facts of beer; the second, about the weight gaining (or not) because of beer (or not). In both posts, we are talking about quality beers, not industrial lagers (many of the conclusions can’t be applied to these beers).
Esentially, beer is a bunch of cereals boiled in water, which is the same process we use to cook, for instance, rice. The “problem” comes when this boiling finishes, and then sugars appear, which creates alcohol; fermentation; storing; aging; and, of course, drinking. Let’s see how a reasonable drinking (33 cl. to 50 cl. a day) can help our health or damage it.
One of the most amazing facts in beer is how, using the same (few) ingredients, the results can be so diverse. This fact makes you think that the nutritional facts of a Porter should be different of a Saison or a Sour Ale. Well, this is correct, though there are some common features in the nutritional facts of a beer (the styles vary the percentages and some trace elements, because the process is different in each style). An “average” beer has the following composition:
- Water: 90%
- Alcohol: 5%
- Carbohydrates: 3.5%
- Proteins: 0.5%
- Other: Group B Vitamins: B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), Folic Acid, Choline, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Silicon.
I’d like to insist that this composition is too abstract. Each beer has its own composition, with its own percentages, but the scheme will not be too different.
With these elements, it can be said that the beer is really a foodstuff and, moreover, very nutritious. Specifically, it has very beneficial effects for the health that some experts –mainly the Nutrition Professors Esperanza Molla, Yolanda Pico and Ana Requejo- in this matter have helped me to discover. I want to thank all of them their time, devotion and patience with me. In their opinion, and as it is published in some studies recommended by them, the main benefits of beer are the following:
a) It increases the vitamin contribution (I don’t know if this is the correct word), especially of the B group. It’s estimated that the beer drinkers (always talking about a reasonable consumption) have a 30% more of vitamin B than other people who don’t drink beer. None other beverage increases this vitamin in blood such as beer.
b) The limited alcohol content improves the blood circulation and reduces the blood pressure. Furthermore, it seems to prevent the thrombus and increase the amount of “good” cholesterol (HDL).
c) It helps to prevent cardiac arrests (some studies talk about 20-30%) and other cardiovascular diseases. Beer has the same amount of polyphenols (antioxidants which presence in wine makes it healthy for these issues) than a red wine, and up to 5 times than white wine. Other element helping the heart protection is vitamin B6, because, together with the folates in the beer, prevent the appearing of homocysteine, a kind of amino acid linked to heart diseases.
d) It has beneficial effects in the prevention of some kind of cancers, because beer eliminates up to 70% the carcinogenic heterocyclic amino, a chemical compounds formed, for instance, while frying meat.
e) Its silicon content contributes to the bone mass development, and strengthens bones.
f) It has some beneficial effects on kidneys, too. It’s a very diuretic beverage due to its high water content, and this benefits the renal function, prevents calculus, eliminates toxins and prevents dehydration.
g) Recently, it has been demonstrated that beer helps to prevent or delay some degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer or senile dementia. It seems that, as Mrs. Molla says, the mechanism which is involved in this process is based in the silicon, present in beer, and that prevents the absorption of aluminum, trace element linked to the mental degeneracy.
h) Beer has neither fat nor cholesterol at all.
i) It is a powerful appetite stimulant, due to its high content in Thiamine, Riboflavin and Pyridoxine.
j) Hops have sedating effects, which makes beer a magnificent relaxing beverage and a sleep inductor.
k) Hops folates could delay or avoid the menopause symptoms.
Anyway, beer can be specially good for groups of population such as older people –mainly because of its effects on appetite and sleep, and because of the strengthening of bones. It’s also very advisable for pregnant women (obviously, we are talking exclusively of alcohol-free beer) because of its nutritional properties, its folic acid content and because, curiously, alcohol-free beer is the beverage which has a lesser amount of calories: only water and infusions have less calories than alcohol-free beer. Any natural juice has more calories than this kind of beer (we must take into account that in beer, calories come mainly from alcohol; no alcohol, no calories).
So, it’s clear that beer has a large amount of benefits for health, but it’s important to insist that we are always talking of reasonable and moderate consumption (one beer a day, occasionally two, and it depends on your size and lifestyle, among other variables), and always referring to quality beers. Why is it important talk about “quality beers”? Well, craft or/and artisanal beers are brewed with a process that implies natural ingredients, natural process of fermentation and aging, etc., and is just in this process where the elements explained above are formed, and, furthermore, this beers are usually unfiltered, and that fact let the trace elements surpass the fermentation and they are kept in beer. Majors can’t wait so long, and they “accelerate” that process by adding artificial elements, such as carbonic anhydride or low quality sugars (if you read some studies in the opposite sense, you should look if they are paid by Heineken or In-Bev), which diminishes the benefits of beer.
However, don’t think everything’s fine about beer. Beer also has bad facts around it. Good news: in the practice, the entire inconvenient are not linked to beer itself, but its excessive consumption. Beer is, in the end, an alcoholic beverage, and just because of this, all the excess in beer drinking has negative points –well known, in the other side-: high blood pressure, hepatic and digestive diseases, cardiovascular problems, etc. And, in some groups, it could provoke undesired effects, depending on the metabolism and the tolerance to some ingredients of beer.
As a conclusion, beer lovers have reasons to defend beer as a great beverage, but is almost so important to drink it as to know how to drink it. It’s difficult to enjoy beer (or any other foodstuff or beverage) if you have had several of them, and your body and health are going to trouble. You must decide if it is worth for you whether is more important to have five beers a day during a little time or one beer a day during a longlasting life. I have it very clear. Cheers!
WARNING: This post has been written with a merely informative purpose, not a scientific or medical one. If you have some problems with alcoholic beverages, don’t drink beer, and if you think you could have some medical problems with some components of beer, please take a professional advice.
BEERIC 