PT Health Life your health. However, drinking beer also has harmful effects that need to be noted.
Beer is a popular alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermenting grains with yeast and other flavoring agents. Most beers contain 4-6% alcohol. Many people regularly drink beer, is this good or bad for health? Let’s learn about nutrition, benefits and harms of beer:
1. Nutrition of beer
Beer is often considered empty calories but it still contains some minerals and vitamins. However, beer is not a good source compared to whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Here is a nutritional comparison of 355 ml of standard beer and light beer according to the United States Department of Agriculture:
| Standard beer | Light beer | |
| Calories | 153 | 103 |
| Protein | 1.6 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbs | 13 gr | 6 gr |
| Niacin | 9% Daily Value (DV) | 9% DV |
| Choline | 7% DV | 6% DV |
| Folate | 5% DV | 5% DV |
| Magnesium | 5% DV | 4% DV |
| Phosphorus | 4% DV | 3% DV |
| Selenium | 4% DV | 3% DV |
| Vitamin B12 | 3% DV | 3% DV |
| Pantothenic acid | 3% DV | 2% DV |
Additionally, both types contain small amounts of potassium, calcium, thiamine, iron, and zinc. The B vitamin and mineral content is a result of beer being made from grains and yeast. Notably, light beer has about two-thirds the calories of regular beer and is slightly less alcoholic.
2. Potential benefits of beer
Drinking a little beer or moderate amounts of beer may provide some health benefits.
May benefit the heart
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Some studies show that light to moderate beer drinking may reduce the risk of heart disease.
A 12-week study in 36 overweight adults found that moderate beer drinking, one drink for women, two for men per day, improved the antioxidant properties of HDL (good) cholesterol. At the same time, it improves the body’s ability to eliminate cholesterol.
One large review found that low to moderate beer intake, up to one drink a day for women, up to two drinks for men, may reduce the risk of heart disease to the same extent as wine.
However, it’s important to note that these potential benefits are only associated with light to moderate intake. Drinking a lot of beer also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke .
Contributes to improving blood sugar levels
Drinking light to moderate beer may improve blood sugar control, a problem for many people with diabetes .
Some studies have found that light to moderate drinking of beer and wine seems to reduce insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes, as well as the overall risk of developing diabetes. type 2 road.
In a large study of more than 70,500 participants, moderate wine drinking, 14 drinks per week for men and 9 drinks per week for women, was associated with an increased risk of diabetes in men and women. 43% and 58% respectively. However, drinking a lot of beer and wine can go against these benefits and significantly increase the risk of diabetes.
Note that this potential benefit does not apply to beer and other alcoholic beverages that contain high amounts of sugar.
May support bone density
Drinking light to moderate beer can help strengthen bones in men and postmenopausal women. Some studies suggest that beer may be better for bone health because some beers are high in the mineral silica. Research in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found a link between higher dietary silica intake and higher bone mineral density in the hips.
May reduce the risk of dementia
Drinking light to moderate beer may reduce the risk of dementia. However, drinking lots of alcoholic beverages can increase the risk.
3. Harmful effects of drinking too much beer and alcohol
Although drinking light to moderate beer has potential benefits, drinking a lot of beer, or drinking too much beer leading to beer hangovers, is extremely harmful:
Effects when participating in traffic: The World Health Organization says that alcoholic beverages can affect driving by causing drowsiness, causing the driver to fall asleep while driving, impairing vision. force, reduced reaction time… These things have serious effects, increasing risks for yourself and others when driving.
Increased risk of death : People who drink beer and drink heavily to get drunk have a higher risk of premature death than moderate drinkers and people who do not drink alcohol.
Beer and alcohol addiction: Drinking beer and wine regularly can lead to addiction and alcohol use disorder.
Increased risk of depression: Research shows that people who drink beer, drink heavily, or get drunk have a significantly higher risk of depression than moderate drinkers and non-drinkers.
Increased risk of liver disease: Research shows that drinking more than 30 grams of beer and wine in two to three 355 ml bottles of beer daily can increase the risk of liver diseases such as cirrhosis.
Weight gain: A standard 355 ml beer contains about 153 calories, so drinking many drinks can contribute to weight gain.
Potentially carcinogenic : Research links any consumption of beer or alcohol with an increased risk of cancer, including nasopharyngeal and oral cancers…
Although drinking beer properly and in the right dosage can have some benefits, positive effects can be achieved when adopting a diet rich in diverse nutrients, but to reduce the risk of negative consequences for health, it is best to limit drinking to no more than one standard drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
