101 // Is Beer Really Good For You?

Busting Beer Health Myths, one at a time

Story by Ian Lloyd, Illustrations by Taylor Blackwell

Beer is good for you, true or false? I assume most of you formed an opinion on this topic long ago. The big question is why? Perhaps the description of beer should be phrased alternatively: “an all natural barley and wheat product (possibly organic), infused with antioxidant botanical extracts and naturally fermented.” Some brands are even gluten free. If this description were printed on a health food store product, you might buy one for your next hiking trip. But put the same product in a brown bottle with a twist cap and its health appeal is lost. Nonsense! In moderation, beer can be a healthy addition to your diet, and I’m here to discuss some of the facts, and falsehoods, about beer and alcohol consumption.

Standard disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Enjoy craft beer responsibly. Friends don’t let friends drink and drive, nor do they let them purchase crappy beer.

Drinking beer can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes
// TRUE

Moderate consumption of alcohol can actually reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the University Medical Center in Amsterdam used data from 15 different studies, involving more than 360,000 people, in order to analyze the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Their findings were published in the March 2005 issue of Diabetes Care, a publication of the American Diabetes Association (note: this magazine is not a page turner). They found that people who consumed six to 48 grams of alcohol per day had a 30 percent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Six to 48 grams works out to be between a half to three standard bottles of 5 percent ABV beer a day; however, more is not better. Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases if you drink more than three beers a day.

Just when you thought you could drink your way to good health, science proves you wrong! The reason for this protective effect is unclear. One theory is that moderate alcohol consumption increases the amount of adiponectin in the body. Adiponectin is a hormone-like protein that can make insulin more effective and act as an
anti-inflammatory. I know that mixer pack is whispering your name, but remember: it is all about moderation.

drinking beer makes you fat
// FALSE

While the rates of obesity in virtually every nation are increasing, beer alone cannot be blamed. In the October 2003 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the University College in London and the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague answered this weighty question. Researchers sorted through diet and health questionnaires obtained from more than 2,000 men and women from the Czech Republic. (I think I must move to the Czech Republic; no one in Canada cares about our drinking habits.) After sorting through the data, they determined that beer intake was unlikely to be associated with weight gain. The beer consumption reported in the surveys was considerable. On a weekly average, men drank about 3.1 liters of beer and women drank 0.3 liters.

But this answer is not over yet. A more robust study in the September 2009 issue of the same journal tells a different story. Researchers compiled the health data from more than 20,000 Europeans. They were trying to determine if beer drinking lead to the dreaded “beer belly” shape. What they found was that men who consumed more than one liter of beer a day, over an eight-year period, had a 17 percent higher risk of weight gain compared to very light consumers. The weight gain was overall and not site specific; they did not develop a “spare tire.” They were just “big boned.”

To make matters even more confusing, a study of middle-aged British men showed that only heavy drinkers gained weight. Researchers from the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London published their findings in the May 2003 edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. I often read this journal in bed; it is a great cure for insomnia. They found that only those men who consumed more than 60 grams of alcohol per day, significantly gained weight over a five-year period. The type of alcoholic beverage consumed did not matter. For alcohol measurement they used the UK unit of alcohol (one drink), which represents one-half a pint of beer, a single ounce measure of spirits, or a glass of wine. One interesting observation in this study was that light to moderate drinkers generally had the lowest body mass index (BMI) at the beginning of the study. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight used to determine whether one is normal weight or obese for their size. Supermodels usually have a low BMI, and connoisseurs of fast foot restaurants and soft drinks often have a significantly higher BMI. Light to moderate drinkers had about a half to 10 pints per week.

It is generally thought that overall food intake causes weight gain as opposed to weight gain caused by specific foods. To put it in perspective, a 21-ounce serving of Guinness contains around 120 calories. The same sized serving of full fat chocolate milk contains 300 calories and Mountain Dew contains 170 calories.

Beer contains vitamins and minerals // TRUE

Now, don’t get excited and throw away your multivitamin with the idea of substituting it for a wax-dipped, limited-edition stout. It’s true that beer contains notable amounts of the B vitamins; however, its mineral content is lacking. An article in the English newspaper, The Times, states that a very well-known Irish stout only contains 0.3 milligrams of iron per pint. This amount is consistent with other English pints but is not a significant amount considering the current recommended daily intake of iron is 8 milligrams per day. However, the B vitamins are another story. The amounts of the various B vitamins are listed in a wonderful book by Dr. Charles Bamforth, Beer: Health and Nutrition. This book actually is a page turner. According Dr. Bamforth’s book, one liter of beer can contain up to 8 milligrams of vitamin B3, 2 milligrams of vitamin B5, 0.6 milligrams of folic acid, and 30 milligrams of vitamin B12. This represents a significant amount of these important vitamins.

In the July 2001 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers set out to determine if drinking beer can increase the amount of folic acid and vitamin B12 in the body. This study was conducted at the Charles (no relation to Bamforth) University Centre of Preventive Medicine in Pilsen. You can probably guess what beer the subjects were drinking. The researchers found that moderate beer consumption did, in fact, increase the amount of folic acid and vitamin B12 in the body. Moderate intake was defined as more than one liter, but not more that seven liters per week. The primary concern of this study was not the B vitamins, but how these vitamins can impact health. The researchers found that vitamins in beer could reduce the amount of an amino acid in the body called homocysteine. An elevated amount of homocysteine in the body is a risk factor for cardiovascular and heart disease. Keep in mind, too, that the 7 liters per week was most likely a lighter pilsner, not a Russian imperial stout.

Drinking beer can make you smart
// FALSE

Do not despair, moderate alcohol consumption can help you keep the smarts you do have. I keep myself astute by reading the August 2011 edition of Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. Researchers poured through the data of 143 previous papers that studied the effects of alcohol consumption on cognition; the results were enlightening. Moderate drinkers had a 23 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs due to certain diseases. At least I think it does, I forget the small details sometimes. Moderate drinking was defined as two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. The type of alcohol consumed did not affect these findings. Predictably, heavy drinking (more than three-to-five drinks a day) was associated with a slight, but not significant, increased risk of dementia. One theory as to why alcohol protects the brain is that it acts as a slight stressor. In this paper, the researchers hypothesize that while alcohol does not kill brain cells, it preconditions them to be stronger. In response to the irritating effects of alcohol, brain cells produce certain proteins to protect themselves. These beneficial proteins may protect brain cells if they are exposed to more damaging toxins. While fascinating, it refutes Cliff Clavin’s theory that alcohol kills off weaker brain cells to make us smarter.

Now that you can educate your drinking buddies on the health merits of moderate beer consumption, you best go practice. Hopefully, you’ve have learned that light alcohol consumption (meaning up to two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women) can be part of a healthy lifestyle. The keyword here is “part.” Don’t forget to eat your veggies, get plenty of rest, and lots of exercise. Keep your desire for great craft beer in moderation, because even your mother will tell you that too much of a good thing can be bad for you.

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