Beer Nutrition Facts: Reasons You Need To Drink Beer (Or Not)
Do you enjoy a cold beer with your beer growlers, beer towers, beer kegerators, and beer pitchers? If yes, it is understandable since it is a good drink that brings people together. Beer often has a negative attachment regarding its impact on one’s health. But, the good news is that it also has health benefits!
Beer nutrition facts is a topic that beer drinkers may find interesting. Research suggests that consuming beer contributes to cardiovascular, bone, and cognitive health, to name a few. If you want to know more, be sure to read until the end below!
What is Beer Made of?
The popularity of beer is a result of its universal appeal. It can be made with just water, grain, yeast, and hops but many people tend to add their own flavors, such as fruit juice or spices, for an extra kick to make it more interesting.
The grains used in beer production include barley, but can also be other types. It all depends on what kind of beer it is! The hops give it bitterness and preserve the beer. It is what balances out the sweetness from these additions, and the yeast ferments everything into alcohol!
Some beers are brewed with other grains, including wheat, corn, rye, or rice instead of barley. Some brewers even use fruits and herbs to create various brews with flavor profiles that you may not have tasted before.
Beer also varies in alcohol content, ranging from 3% to 40%. Most standard beers are between 4-6%, but the most alcoholic beers can even reach up close to 60%!
Beer Nutritional Facts
Surprising as it may, beer actually is a wonderful beverage that provides many potential health benefits and nutritional value, given that you have moderate drinking. Beer contains vitamins and minerals and has high antioxidants, which can help keep your body healthy in various ways!
12 ounces (355 ml) of standard beer contains:
| Vitamins / Minerals | Beer Content |
| Calories | 153 grams |
| Fat | 0 grams |
| Protein | 1.64 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 12.8 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sugar | less than 1 gram |
| Fiber | less than 1 gram |
| Sodium | 14 grams |
| Calcium | 1% of DV |
| Potassium | 2% of DV |
| Selenium | 4% of the DV |
| Choline | 7% of the DV |
| Phosphorus | 4% of the DV |
| Selenium | 4% of the DV |
| Riboflavin | 7% of the DV |
Beer is also a great source of magnesium, folate, and niacin. It is not only good for your taste buds but also helps with fighting off free radicals in the body. The darker and stronger beers have more antioxidants, which can reduce chronic conditions.
How Does Beer Positively Affect One’s Health?
Various research studies have looked into the potential health effects of beer. To reiterate, the following advantages may only be attained with moderate consumption.
Aids Cardiovascular Health
Drinking beer is likely an effective preventative measure against diseases of the heart and circulatory system like heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis. It is similar to wine's nutritional advantages for the heart.
There's some evidence that drinking an alcoholic beverage can help improve your health in this way too. Moderate beer drinkers have been shown to experience a 30% reduction in coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and heart attack compared with those who don't drink at all!
Light to moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the chances of experiencing a stroke caused by blood clots. It's also well known that people who drink alcohol in the year before they have their initial heart attack are less prone to die from cardiovascular disease or all-cause illness.
Increases Bone Density
Beer has been shown to be linked with increased bone density and overall improved bone health. This information comes from a new clinical study that found moderate beer consumption was associated with an increase in both measures.
Silicon is a metalloid found in alcoholic beer, but does it play any role? It has been revealed to be a potent booster of bone-mineral density. It has been suggested that higher amounts of micronutrients can help ward off osteoporosis and prevent bone loss.
The best sources are beers containing more malted barley or hops than other ingredients as well as pale ales with their dark coloration having greater inherent silicon content per serving size.
However, excessive alcohol has been linked to a number of health complications, including bone loss. With this, it's important not to get carried away with excessive consumption because there are always risks involved in drinking too much alcohol.
Contains Antioxidants, Vitamins, and Minerals
Beer also contains small amounts of nutrients. It's made from cereal grains and yeast, which are great sources for B vitamins as well as minerals like potassium, magnesium, thiamine, calcium, zinc, and iron!
Furthermore, a study showed that beer contains more protein and B vitamins than wine, but the antioxidants in it are different. Beer has flavonoids, while wines do not have as many.
It is worth noting that beer only contains a small amount of micronutrients. So, it's not a good idea to substitute fruits and vegetables with it to get your required daily nutrient intake.
Boosts Brain Function
Beer is also being studied as a possible way to improve cognitive function. Studies have shown that alcoholic drinks like beer can actually help our brain cells thrive instead of dying off! With a few months of research to go before any conclusions are drawn, people can't say for certain that alcoholic beer will make you smarter.
But, it has been shown in the past that when given doses of xanthohumol (a type of flavonoid found typically in hops), mice showed improved brain function as compared with control groups; this held true even at young ages. The mice that were given the beer flavonoid improved their cognitive function because it increased blood flow to key areas of the brain.
Decreases Cholesterol
One ingredient used when brewing beer is barley, which is rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols can lower cholesterol levels and promote heart health. Studies examining consumption doses ranging from 60-340 milliliters every day for 4 or 6 weeks on average found results of increased HDL (the good cholesterol) while decreasing LDL (the bad cholesterol).
Though this may not apply universally across other alcoholic drinks made up mainly or entirely out of similar ingredients.
One study discovered that consuming one beer daily could reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol. On the other hand, drinking three or more may actually promote it in some cases! Oxidized LDL is dangerous for you because it can increase inflammation inside blood vessels and may lead to deadly cardiovascular diseases.
Improves Blood Sugar Levels
Drinking alcohol can be beneficial for people with high sugar levels, as it may help reduce their risk of developing diabetes and control their blood sugar levels. A study has shown that those who drank one or two alcoholic beverages per day had 50% lower chances of developing diabetes than those who didn't drink at all.
When you are trying to cut down on how much sugar is in your diet, it's important to know that the type of beer is influential. You'll want light beers with low-sugar content, for this reason. However, there will also be an effect from other factors such as alcohol content and strength, which can make all the difference.
Lowers Risk of Diabetes
Beer has been viewed in a negative light for many years, but recent studies have found that it may actually provide a lot of health benefits to those with diabetes.
Beer may make you less sensitive to insulin. When you drink alcohol and are on medication for diabetes, this could lead to low blood glucose 24 hours later from the consumption of ethanol. This could have the same effect if you have gone through illnesses like an infection where hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) was a problem.
Lengthens Lifespan
Over time, there have been many health benefits of beer recorded, including preventing or delaying death. New research held at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference suggests that moderate beer drinkers experience less mortality and could live up to 18% longer than those who don't drink.
Many people are wondering if there is indeed a correlation between alcohol and longevity. Another study of mild Alzheimer’s patients, done way back in 2015, found that moderate drinkers were less likely to die during follow-up than people who never drink.
Additionally, a 2017 clinical trial also uncovered some exciting and significant results when it comes to mortality rates among different types of beverage intake.
Long-Term Effects of Drinking Beer
Beer consumption can pose great risks if you do it on an unhealthy level. If you continue this habit, it can lead to the following effects:
Cancer
Alcohol is a substance that causes cancerous cells to grow. Those who engage in alcohol consumption have an increased risk of developing oral cancers such as mouth and throat cancers.
Every time you drink alcohol, microscopic damage occurs to your mouth and throat cells. The lining of these areas is particularly susceptible because it has a high rate of replacement for new material, which makes them more likely targets in the long-term effects from small doses like drinking one beer glass per day.
Liver disease
The liver is an essential organ that works to filter blood, remove toxins and store nutrients. When it encounters too much alcohol consumption or expresses other signs of stress like fatty change in its cells, this can lead to alcoholic liver diseases such as fatty liver.
Fatty liver is a condition that most people develop after drinking more than 1/2 ounce of alcohol per day. The onset of fatty liver is gradual and usually symptomless.
Alcohol dependence
Alcohol is a mind-altering substance that can have very addictive properties. It's estimated 12% of Americans are believed to be dependent on alcohol, with some estimates going as high as 18%.
Alcohol addiction can be a devastating problem for the addicted individual. The disease's impact on their life is both mentally and physically impairing, with many people experiencing issues such as poor work productivity due to being intoxicated at any given time.
Beer belly / Weight gain
The overall health consequences of obesity are a serious concern. Alcohol is one of the most calorically rich nutrients, packing about 7 beer calories per gram, leading to weight gain and numerous other problems if consumed in excess.
It's been suggested that there is an association between alcohol and weight gain, but the data are inconclusive. This inconsistency may be due to your drinking habits or preferences. People who follow moderate alcohol consumption tend to have less body fat than those with heavy consumers.
Anxiety / Depression
Depression is a mental condition that can lead to heavy drinking. Meanwhile, alcohol abusers are at a higher risk of developing depression. These two conditions may occur together in heavy beer drinkers who have an unhappy life situation.
You might be thinking that drinking to reduce stress and improve mood is a great idea. But in reality, alcohol can worsen your mental health over time as it triggers depression or anxiety symptoms. Moderate beer drinking may help; just don't go overboard. Self-control is key to a healthy lifestyle, people!
Hypertension
Alcohol is not the best option to regulate your blood pressure. Drinking too much can lead to unhealthy levels and even trigger higher rates of hypertension over time. This may be due to their alcohol consumption being linked with inflammation-related health risks like heart disease or stroke complications.
Cutting back on your drinking can lower the systolic and diastolic numbers by as much as 5.5 mmHg and 4mm Hg, respectively, so it is worth considering for people who suffer from hypertension or high cholesterol levels.
Malnutrition
Some people have lived with chronic alcohol addiction for years. Malnutrition can result from this condition - it affects differently depending on how far a person is into their illness. However, its severity may rely mainly on social factors such as race or socioeconomic status within one's community.
With continuous alcohol consumption, your body's nutritional reserves are depleted. The ethanol cannot provide substantial calories and may even be relatively ineffective for this task despite being highly calorific.
Beer Nutrition FAQ
1. What amount of beer intake is considered healthy?
The relative benefits of reducing alcohol consumption are well known. For men, it's best if they limit themselves to 2 drinks or less a day, while women can have 1 drink or less a day. Meanwhile, it is suggested that people older than age 65 shouldn't have more than 1 drink per day. It's recommended to avoid drinking too much in one day.
2. Who should not drink beer?
You strictly cannot consume beer if you are the following:
- Pregnant, whether you're certain or uncertain about your pregnancy
- Not yet of legal drinking age
- Suffer from a condition or take medications that can react with alcohol
- In the process of alcohol abuse recovery
3. What happens if you drink beer daily?
Drinking beer every day can put you at risk of certain cancers such as liver, mouth, and throat cancer. Beer has high levels of alcohol which are carcinogenic in nature. This can also increase the chance of getting diabetes or obesity due to its caloric contents.
Moreover, it may change your sleep cycle, which can be harmful in the long run. Beer has high levels of sulfates, which can lead to lower IQ when consumed daily over many years. If you want to stay on a healthy diet, the key thing is that beer should not become a part of your everyday diet. Instead, it should be an occasional drink. Start moderate beer drinking now!
4. Can you drink beer on keto?
If you're on a keto diet, there are some things to know whether you can drink beer or not. Beer might seem like a tempting drink to quench your thirst. But in terms of diet, it's not good for weight loss since it has a lot of carbs. However, there are some low-carb or keto-friendly beers you can try.
5. What is the healthiest beer?
The healthiest kind of beer to drink is usually light beers or lagers. Guinness is also considered a healthy option.
Conclusion
Drinking moderately is the best way to enjoy your beer while also enjoying all of its benefits! But, don't forget what happens if you abuse your drinking habits. With this in mind, you can still have a good time serving beer with delicious snacks only if you have the discipline and know when to stop.
Did you find this article useful? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Comments
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It caught my attention when you mentioned how drinking beer helps control and cut down the sugar in our diet and reduce the chances of developing diabetes. Our family has a medical history of developing diabetes, so I wanted to take preventative measures to ensure that I won’t be the same. I might just buy Tusker cans later for dinner once I get off of work. https://www.tusker.beer/lager
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I loved that you said that beer can keep your body healthy in various ways because it contains minerals and vitamins. This is a good tip for my sister so she can be convinced to order a wholesale beer before this month ends. I could imagine how drinking a bottle each time she feels pressured and stressed at work would do a lot to her mental health. https://www.classicbrandsoh.com
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