Is beer healthy: yes, but alcohol-free beer is healthier. On health benefits of beer and effects on our microbiome.

Beer has undoubtedly been one of the most popular alcoholic beverages for centuries if not thousands of years. Particularly in the medieval period, the average city dweller drank more low-alcohol beer than water because water was not reliable enough to drink without boiling it first.

Many like to drink a glass of cold beer on a hot summer day and some people enjoy drinking a beer nearly ever day of the year. It is therefore not very surprising that every article in which beer is attributed health qualities is embraced by beer lovers.

For me the process actually went the other way around. I've always avoided beer because I don't like to even become slightly tipsy plus would rather eat calories than drink them.
My partner doesn't like the taste and would rather drink wine than beer. There's also rumours
Coincidentally, a month ago I got the chance to try non-alcoholic beer for free.
Almost against expectations, it turned out to taste quite good and the calorie density was not too bad: 1 can of non-alcoholic beer contains fewer calories than regular beer and about half of what is in sugary soft drinks.
Unlike soda, you also get a reasonable amount of potassium and some B vitamins.

Still, I felt a pang of guilt about even drinking non-alcoholic beert, but that suddenly changed when I also learned how beer is also good for gut health, which is why we are big fans of fermented foods such as yoghurt and Sauerkraut. Therefore I felt the need to share a few articles on the benefits of beer.

But before doing so, let's precede this with the obligatory warnings. It should be quite obvious how copious consumption of alcohol is bad for your overall health, will cause liver cirrhosis and worst, can kill directly because of violence and traffic accidents.

Downsides of drinking beer

Though light to moderate beer intake has potential benefits, heavy intake and binge drinking can be extremely harmful.

Below are some of the negative effects of drinking too much alcohol:

• Increased risk of death. Heavy and binge drinkers have a higher risk of early death than moderate drinkers and nondrinkers.
• Alcohol dependence. Frequent alcohol consumption can lead to dependence and alcohol use disorder.
• Increased risk of depression. Research suggests heavy and binge drinkers have a significantly higher risk of depression compared with moderate drinkers and nondrinkers.
• Liver disease. Research suggests drinking more than 30 grams of alcohol — found in two to three cans or bottles of beer — daily can raise your risk of liver diseases like cirrhosis, a condition characterized by scarring.
• Weight gain. A standard can (355ml) of beer contains around 153 calories, so consuming multiple drinks can contribute to weight gain.
• Cancers. Research associates any alcohol intake with an increased risk of cancers, including throat and mouth cancers.

To reduce the risk of negative health consequences, it’s best to limit your intake to no more than one standard drink per day for women and two for men.
While some evidence shows that drinking a low alcohol beer with electrolytes can improve rehydration, other studies have shown that alcohol can hinder muscle growth and recovery. In addition, it’s more effective to rehydrate by drinking nonalcoholic electrolyte beverages.

Also for those who feel vindicated on how moderate drinking is better for longevity than being a teetotaller, I'd like to throw in the critical article by Anthony Colpo who points to the fact how many fanatical abstainer may have been an alcoholic in an earlier life period.

Beer and its history

Beer is one of the most commonly used alcoholic drinks in the world and it is third most popular drink in the world, right after tea and water.

Beer is brewed by the saccharification of starch and fermentation of the resulting sugar. Saccharification is the process where a complex carbohydrate (like starch) is divided into its monosaccharide components.

Beer has a long history and it belongs to a group of oldest prepared beverages. First traces of beer production date back to 9500 BC, early Neolithic period. It is also recorded in history of ancient civilizations of Egypt and Iraq. Sumer people fermented bread in order to make a pulp which was characterized by the intoxicating effect. They referred to it as a divine drink. Babylonians produced beer too and it is assumed they had about 20 different types of beer. Egyptians buried beer and malt with Pharaohs to offer them some nourishment in the afterlife. Romans drank beer as well. Even though they preferred wine, some parts of the Roman Empire were known for beer consumption.

During the Middle Ages monasteries brewed beer and some monks drank up to 5l of beer per day.

In the year 822AD hops was introduced into beer production and Germany was the first country to use it. Germany was also the first country to implement ingredient regulation with The Reinheitsgebot of 1516, also known as The Purity Law. This law dictated that beer should be made of water, malt, and hops.

It is usually believed that alcoholic beverages can only damage our brain, heart, and other organs. Regular consumption of alcoholic drinks is associated with damage and deterioration of our mind, body, and soul.

However, beer has many health benefits and can improve our overall health in a lot of different ways. This article will discuss health benefits that come with consumption of beer.

Beer ingredients

Brewing beer requires few ingredients that are considered as a standard for this product. They are:

1. Barley is the main ingredient of the beer. Barley grains are usually low in proteins and fat, but they are rich in starch. Starch is consisted of sugar molecules and it is grain’s food reserve.
2. Hops is a plant that can grow in height up to 20m. This plant is consisted of essential oils that offer distinctive flavor to the beer; it serves like a spice in the beer-making industry.
3. Water : beer is made mostly of water. Different regions have water of different mineral composition which affects the flavor of the beer and that is why beers with same ingredients and formula from different regions can taste differently.
4. Yeast produces flavor compounds and it is responsible for the fermentation of the beer. The function of the yeast is to metabolize sugars which were extracted from grains. This process leads to production of alcohol and carbon dioxide, in other words, it turns wort (liquid that is extracted during the brewing process) into beer.

Health benefits

As it was mentioned above, beer has numerous health benefits and they are:

Prevents Type 2 diabetes – Moderate consumption of beer is associated with the lower risks of getting diabetes. About 15 different scientific researches have confirmed that beer reduces the risk of suffering from Type 2 diabetes. It is because beer increases insulin sensitivity.

Protects against gallstones – Beer can also be good for decreased risk of symptomatic gallstone disease. Additionally, increase in beer consumption is associated with the decreased risk.

Good vitamin source – Beer is a good source of vitamins. It is suggest that beer contains:

• Niacin (vitamin B3) is essential for a good health. Deficiency of niacin is indicated by the rash, diarrhea, and neurological deficits.
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2):Deficiency of this vitamin includes symptoms like sore throat, lesions of the lips, conjunctivitis, and some skin conditions.
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): low level of Vitamin B5 in an organism can lead to headache, insomnia, fatigue, intestinal disturbances, tingling and numbness of hands and feet.
• Folate or folic acid (vitamin B9). Deficiency of this vitamin can be displayed through fatigue, lethargy, tender tongue, pale skin, irritability, and diarrhea.
• Other B vitamins – Beer is rich in B vitamins and according to some studies, people who drink beer have 30% more B vitamin in their body than non-beer drinkers.

Improves brain health – Scientists proved that, xanthohumol, a flavonoid that is found in beer can improve cognitive function.

Improves heart health – People who drink beer have 42% lower risk of getting cardiovascular disease, comparing to people who don’t drink beer. Moderate consumption of beer can lower the chances of getting heart attack.

Boosts creativity and problem-solving skills – Scientists conducted a study where men who drank beer and men who didn’t drink beer had to solve a verbal puzzle while watching a movie at the same time. The result of the study showed that men who drank beer solved problems faster than men who didn’t drink beer. This leads to a conclusion that beer has a positive effect on our problem-solving abilities.

Improves kidney function – Moderate consumption of beer lowers chances of developing kidney stones by 40%. Researchers weren’t able to find the connection between the beer and kidney function but it is assumed it is due to the fact that consumption of beer leads to frequent urination. Another theory includes hops which slow down the release of calcium from our bones (calcium is reabsorbed by kidneys and forms stones). However, regardless of the reason, beer is beneficial for the proper function of our kidneys.

Speeds up recovery process – This is especially beneficial for people who exercise regularly. Scientists conducted a study where participants had to exercise until they reach 40°C body temperature. Participants had to re-hydrate with beer or water and the results showed that people who drank beer recovered faster and had better hydration than people who drank water.

Improves metabolism – Beer can boost metabolism and prevent your body from absorbing fat.

Prevents formation of cataracts – Consumption of beer improves antioxidant activity that prevents cataracts from forming and spreading in your eyes. Antioxidant activity protects mitochondria cells in the eyes. Damaged mitochondria cells can lead to the incidence of cataracts.

Lowers blood pressure – People who drink beer are less likely to develop high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to numerous problems and affect heart and coronary arteries, and potentially leads to stroke.

Protects from infections – Beer can improve the immune system and protects our body from infection.

Strengthens bones – people who drink beer have 4.5% better bone density than people who don’t drink beer. Beers contain dietary silicon which is important for development and growth of bone and connective tissue. Drinking beer can even help fight osteoporosis.

Improves digestion – Beer is a source of fiber (especially dark beer). In this department, beer is even better choice than wine which doesn’t contain fiber. Fiber deficiency can cause intestinal and gastric disorders.

Lowers bad cholesterol – Fiber in beer is not only good for proper digestion, it is also good for lowering LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which is usually referred to as “bad cholesterol”. Meanwhile, HDL cholesterol (High-Density Lipoprotein) or “good cholesterol” is improving.

Promotes sleep – Beer’s components nicotinic acid and riboflavin promote sleep and fight insomnia.
Other components in non-alcoholic beer that are said to promote sleep are 2-Methyl-3-Buten-2-Ol, myrcenol and xanthohumol which improve the functioning of the GABA receptors. GABA is a neurotransmitter that deactivates processes in the brain, thus inducing sleep.

Prevents blood clots – Moderate intake of beer can be a good “blood thinner” for elderly people and patients who suffer from deep vein thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis is caused by blood clots in veins and the condition can often be life-threatening.

Boosts memory – beer can trigger the growth of new brain cells and hence boost your memory.

Relieves stress – beer has a relaxing purpose, reduces stress and prevents anxiety, and decreases self-consciousness.

Cure for cold – hops contains humulone compound which helps our body fight the virus that causes cold. Barley increases blood circulation and helps you breathe when you have nasal congestion.

Decreases risk of getting cancer – Xanthohumol affects cancer-causing enzymes and reduces the risk of suffering from cancer. It is important to mention that xanthohumol is more powerful than genistein (component found in soy).

Are all beers the same?

Even though beers generally contain same set of ingredients, they are not all the same. In order to get the best out of your beer you should be careful when you are purchasing the product. Some beers contain genetically modified ingredients, while some contain sweeteners, corn syrup, preservatives.
It is recommended to purchase craft beers. These beers are produced in microbreweries which do not mass produce their products. Microbreweries are focused on flavor, quality of the beer, and development of brewing technique. On the other hand, mass produced beers contain questionable ingredients and the companies are more focused on the quantity rather than on quality of the product.

When you are about to purchase beer, you should make sure label indicates that beer is:

• unfiltered
• unpasteurized
• made with barley, rye, wheat and other whole grains
• without preservatives
• without sweeteners or corn syrup.

It is widely believed that out of all alcoholic beverages, wine have most health benefits. However, studies proved we were wrong. US National Library of Medicine published a research whose purpose was to investigate beer, wine, and their health benefits.
Results of the study showed that beer can decrease the risk of getting cancer, obesity, diabetes. Moreover, like it was mentioned above, beer also contains fibers which improve digestion, while wine doesn’t contain fibers at all.
However, another study proved that consumption of both drinks resulted with reduced chance of suffering from heart attack comparing to people who didn’t drink alcohol at all. Moreover, preferred drink didn’t make any difference.
The conclusion is, although both drinks are heart-healthy, beer has more health benefits than wine.
The key is moderation. Improper consumption of any of these drinks doesn’t have beneficial effect.

How much beer should I drink per day?

Beer can be healthy and is able to improve our health, boost immunity, and prevent many diseases. However, if you think the more you drink, the healthier you will be, you are wrong. The key to success can be found in moderation.
Moderate drinking was mentioned throughout this article for a reason. If you consume too much beer it will not result in improved health.

According to scientists you should:

• be moderate and drink between one and three units per day
• you should always make sure you eat a healthy meal
• your intake of beer should be consistent, which means if you have one beer today, you shouldn’t have 3 tomorrow
• men can drink up to 21 beers per week, while women can consume 14 during one week
• you should stay away from drinking more than 5 beers during a short period of time.

Bottom line is, you should drink between one and three beers during the day and that is it.

Dos and Don’t’s

• DO buy craft beers or other beers which do not contain harmful ingredients.
• DON’T let your beer get too cold. People usually think the colder the beer, the better it is. However, that is wrong. When beer is too cold you can numb your palate and decrease the ability to fully taste all its components. Experts suggest to slightly cool off the beer before drinking.
• DON’T store the beer in the light – light can decrease beer’s quality and that is why most companies have darker beer bottles. Additionally, the place you store your beer should be dark and cool.
• DON’T drink beer on empty stomach – it can change the way your body processes alcohol.
• DO try to be moderate – know when to stop. A few beers are more than enough to help you relax, retain their health benefits without eventually damaging your health.

As you will have noticed, the benefits of beer for gut health wasn't part of the article above, which was written in 2021.

Last year though Eric Claassen , a Dutch researcher made headlines with results of his research with strong Belgian beers, including Hoegaarden, Westmalle Tripel and Echt Kriekenbier which are rich in probiotic microbes that offer a range of health benefits.
A more recent research though used beer without any probiotics or even alcohol proving how other componetns in beer were responsible for the health effects.

It was only recently a new research was published showing how even beer without live bacteria can be good for your health. Here's the popular scientific article written about it

Gut bacteria flourish: is a beer good for health after all?

Few people can resist a glass of nice cold beer on the terrace on warm summer days. Yet, we feel a pang of remorse, since after all, we know beer is not very healthy. Or?

There seems to be at least one advantage to beer, both with and without alcohol: it leads to a better intestinal flora. Scientists drwa this conclusion in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. They discovered how men who drank one beer a day (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) developed an increasing and more diverse collection of gut bacteria. A more varied gut flora is linked to a lower risk of developing various diseases.

Trillions of microorganisms live in the human gastrointestinal tract and have a direct impact on the well-being of their host. Studies have shown that people are less likely to develop chronic diseases such as heart problems and diabetes when more types of bacteria are present in the gut. It was shown how beer contains beneficial substances that improve the amount and diversity of the intestinal flora.

What is good for intestinal health?

Your microbiome prefers to digest unprocessed, fiber-rich foods. There is a distinction between products with fermentable fibres, such as beans, leeks, oats, barley and bananas, and foods with non-fermentable fibres, such as whole grain products and fruit with skins. Fermented foods, which contain live bacteria, are especially recommended.

Antioxidants

Lager (pilsner beer) contains all kinds of antioxidants, such as polyphenols. There are also good micro-organisms swirling through the gold coloured fluids, which can influence the variety of microbes in the human gut. A previously published study showed that both men and women experienced an improved intestinal health after 30 days after drinking an alcohol-free beer every day.
Later on, many of these same persons took part in a second study, in which they drank the alcoholic version of the same beer. This gave a less pronounced health effect.

Because there wasn't much other similar research, researcher Ana Faria and her colleagues decided to conduct a double-blind study in which two separate groups of participants, nineteen healthy men were randomly divided into two groups.
Each person was asked to drink 0.33 litre of pilsner beer with dinner for four weeks. One group drank alcoholic beer, the other group was given a 0.0 beer every day.

The researchers noticed the participants' weight, BMI and a number of blood markers indicative of good heart health and metabolism did not change during the study. At the end of the four-week period, however, greater bacterial diversity in the gut was measured in both test groups. An increase in the amount of alkaline phosphatase in the stool was also found, indicating an improvement in gut health.

Hops and yeast extracts

“It is very interesting to see that beer can positively influence the intestinal flora. The fermented drink has a positive impact on the diversity and the amount of bacteria, because of the hop and yeast extracts in the beer.
We see how moderate consumption of beer, with or without alcohol, can be a good way to improve the microbiotic gut environment as part of a balanced diet,” researcher Ana Faria explains.

“It was surprising to find that the effect on the gut bacteria was not dependent on the alcohol in the beer. This suggests that components in the beer itself can influence the diversity of microorganisms in the gut and improve gut values.”

Faria: “The beer was carefully filtered beforehand, so that no viable micro-organisms were present in the liquid. The changes in diversity and size of the group of gut microbes can therefore only be attributed to the fermentation of grains and to the hop extracts.”

Based on this pilot study, the researchers say that consuming a bottle of beer a day, regardless of alcohol content, can have a positive effect on gut health and the diversity and amount of microorganisms that live in the gut. The research team would like to add how it should be evident that any amount of alcohol is bad for health, so the alcohol-free version is ultimately the better choice. Cheers!

Source: "Impact of Beer and Nonalcoholic Beer Consumption on the Gut Microbiota" - Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"

The other yeast that's even friendlier for your gut

Over the past few years we have seen an upsurge in the sale of a specific type of probiotics, which aren't the typical bacteria, but a type of yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii, which happens to be a subspiecies of the famous yeast micro-organism used for ....
brewing beer and wine! While mostly known as Saccharomyces boulardii its' other name is Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii.

This non-pathogenic yeast has a host of documented benefits, including helping to support the gastrointestinal and immune systems and inhibiting the formation of troublesome candida biofilms.

What is Saccharomyces boulardii, and how does it work?

Saccharomyces boulardii is well-regarded as a beneficial microorganism effective against a number of bacteria-induced gastrointestinal diseases, including cholera and stomach ulcers (Helicobacter pylori)

This friendly yeast has been found to:

Break down toxins produced by pathogens and bind to toxins to remove them from the body — including helping to remove cholera toxin.

Support other beneficial microorganisms, such as probiotic bacteria in the gut to help reestablish a healthy microbiome.1

Protect the epithelial cells that line the gut, helping to prevent pathogenic bacteria and yeasts from sticking around in the body.

Saccharomyces boulardii also helps to restore a normal balance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which help to keep gut inflammation in check in addition to supporting normal digestive enzyme production.

There are other ways in which Saccharomyces boulardii sustains gut health, like enhancing intestinal immune function. This beneficial yeast does this by modulating levels of secretory IgA and cytokines — and the overall inflammatory immune response. It also helps to reinforce the intestinal barrier, thereby reducing the chances that pathogens get into the bloodstream through a leaky gut.

How does Saccharomyces boulardii soothe diarrhea and fight candida?

Saccharomyces boulardii can promote good health by protecting against potential causes of diarrhea. This yeast acts against both Clostridium difficile and Escherichia coli, two key pathogens responsible for almost all cases of acute diarrhea.

What’s more, Saccharomyces boulardii can produce a protease enzyme that digests toxin A and B molecules produced by Clostridium difficile, helping to prevent Clostridium difficile-induced inflammatory diarrhea. Studies have found that Saccharomyces boulardii helps to reduce overgrowth of E. coli and decreases diarrhea associated with antibiotic use.

Where Saccharomyces boulardii really shines is in helping to prevent Candida albicans from sticking around and creating biofilms in the body.
Researchers have found that Saccharomyces boulardii inhibits the ability of Candida albicans to move from the gastrointestinal tract to become a systemic infection involving the lymph nodes, blood, liver, kidneys, spleen, and other organs and tissues.
Saccharomyces boulardii also reduces inflammation and intestinal colonization by Candida albicans.
A daily dose of Saccharomyces boulardii could be helpful, then, in preventing and treating Candida albicans infections and biofilm formation.

In one study, live Saccharomyces boulardii cells had a very strong effect on the filamentation (hyphae and pseudohyphae formation) of Candida albicans, meaning that the pathogenic yeast was much less able to form filaments and stick to surfaces to build biofilms.

You can find this friendly yeast in Jarrow Formulas' singular probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii as well as in Gut Calm where it is paired with other probiotics.