Beer and Health
Is Beer Bad for Health?
The main active ingredient of beer is alcohol, thus it is important to note that the effect of alcohol on health also applies to beer.
The moderate consumption of alcohol, including beer, is associated with a decreased risk of cardiac disease, stroke and cognitive decline. However, the side effects of alcohol abuse in the long term include the risk of developing alcoholism, alcoholic liver disease, and some forms of cancer.
Brewer’s yeast is known to be rich in nutrients like magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, and B vitamins. Beer is therefore sometimes referred to as “liquid bread” but some sources maintain that filtered beer loses much of its nutrition.
A 2005 Japanese study found that low alcohol beer may possess strong anti-cancer properties. Another study also found that nonalcoholic beer mirrors the cardiovascular benefits associated with moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. However, much research suggests that the primary health benefit from alcoholic beverages comes from the alcohol they contain.
There are also many who blame beer consumption for the cause of their beer belly. But the fact is that it is the overeating and the lack of exercise and low muscle tone that cause the beer belly, not the beer
Several diet books quote beer as having the same glycemic index as maltose – a very high (and therefore undesirable) 110; however, as maltose undergoes metabolism by yeast during fermentation, beer also actually consists mostly of water, hop oils and only trace amounts of sugars, apart from maltose.
Nevertheless, having said all these, it is best to drink in moderation and do not let the effect of overdose of alcohol affect your health and your life.
One thing to bear in mind and a word of caution, don’t drive if you know that you are going to drink. Although the alcohol content of beer is much lower than that of other liqueur, it will still have an impact on your responses and reaction.