‘I know that beer is fattening, but not all beer is equally fattening.’ The phrase is easy to hear in any bar as an excuse to drink without assuming that this drink provides calories, alcohol and few valuable nutrients to the diet. Even so, the alcoholic beverage most consumed in our country is beer. Although low compared to other drinks, it has an alcohol content that prompts some consumers to look for excuses or reasons to support their consumption. Marketing does the rest. Claims appear suggesting that drinking beer is good for this or that objective, the nutritional benefits of beer are sought, it is suggested that beer is good for hair health and, of course, commercial proposals for beers that multiply It doesn’t make you fat.
Manuel Moñino, dietitian-nutritionist and member of the Center for Analysis of Scientific Evidence of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, puts the dots on this matter. And review how much truth there is in the idea that beer makes you fat.
How many calories does a beer have?
According to the Socioeconomic Report of the Beer Sector in Spain, prepared by the Cerveceros de España employers’ association and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the average per capita consumption of beer was 56 liters in 2023. Paradoxically, although Spain is a In a country where this product is consumed regularly, one of the biggest concerns among citizens is whether beer makes you fat.
Manuel Moñino remembers that «the energy of this drink comes mainly from alcohol, which provides 7 calories[1] per gram. Also, although to a lesser extent, free sugars, which are around 3.5 or 4.5 grams/100 milliliters.”
Taking into account that a beer commonly consumed in Spain provides between 4 and 6 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters, we can easily calculate how many calories we ingest in a bottle or a beer. To refine the calculations further, Moñino indicates the calories per 100 milliliters of the different types of beer:
• Guinness type black beer: 43-36 kcal. Taking into account that a beer commonly consumed in Spain provides between 4 and 6 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters, we can easily calculate how many calories we ingest in a bottle or a beer.
• API: 66 kcal – 39 kcal, depending on its alcohol content, which is usually higher than other varieties with similar amounts of sugars.
• Pilsen: 38 kcal from alcohol and sugars.
• Non-alcoholic beer: 35-37 kcal from sugars, although they may have small amounts of alcohol (<1%).
• Beer 0.0: 18-26 kcal from sugars.
• Gluten-free beer: 47-49 kcal alcohol and sugars.
• light beer: 29 kcal due to the reduction of alcohol (<3.2 grams) and sugars (<1 gram).
Which drink is more fattening, wine, beer or cola?
It is not about justifying whether beer is more or less fattening than other drinks. The expert insists that “foods do not make you gain weight or lose weight by themselves. It is the eating pattern and lifestyle, in addition to other factors such as age or genetics, that determine the change in weight and body composition.”
When comparing the calories of each of these drinks, we must avoid falling into the trap of comparing them without taking into account the usual measurement of consumption, which, as we are going to see, are usually different.
It is usually consumed in a glass.
A glass of wine usually contains about 100-150 milliliters of product. Each glass provides us with 80 and 140 kcal.
It is normally consumed in canes or thirds.
A cane (or 1/5) is equivalent to about 80 or 90 kcal. One third provides about 150 kcal.
A can of soda is 330 milliliters and provides about 150 kcal.
What is healthier, beer or cola?
In terms of health, the fact that beer makes you fat is a lesser evil. Manuel Moñino remembers that “The harmful health effects of alcoholic beverages far exceed those of sugary drinks.. Alcohol consumption is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as other social aspects, such as violence, traffic accidents, sexual assaults, low productivity, mental illnesses…
Next, the expert emphasizes that “among the adverse health effects of sugary drinks, the increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, among others, stands out. More than enough reasons for them not to be considered a healthy alternative to the consumption of alcoholic beverages.”
Tricks so that beer does not make you fat
The trick is not a trick, but a universal truth: the less alcohol the better. To avoid gaining weight and to, in general, lead a healthy lifestyle. Avoiding alcohol not only helps to avoid the calories in alcoholic beverages, it also keeps us away from their harmful effects on health.
Once we are clear about all of the above, the dietician-nutritionist gives these recommendations, both for beer and other alcoholic beverages:
- Do not take more than the low-risk amount. In men it is a maximum of 2 standard basic units of alcohol daily, equivalent to a glass of wine or a beer. In women it is 1 unit.
- have weekly days without consumption of beer.
- Avoid high-grade oneslike IPAs.
- Use light ones, without alcohol or 0.0%.
- If you want to mix beer with soda, it better be no sugar to reduce alcohol consumption without increasing sugars.
Does beer provide significant nutrients?
This is another of the most common myths about this drink. However, the dietitian-nutritionist is clear that he or she hardly has any interest from a nutritional point of view. “A beer provides non-significant amounts of nutrients derived mainly from water, minerals and some B vitamins from barley. «But they are found in such tiny quantities that they are ridiculous when compared to those provided by whole grains, legumes or green leafy vegetables, among other foods.» Any health claims about beer are completely meaningless.
Is brewer’s yeast good for hair or as a recovery for athletes?
“The health messages that the alcoholic beverage industry attributes to beer for the mere fact of containing brewer’s yeast are completely misleading and self-serving, with a clear conflict of interest,” Manuel Moñino states forcefully.
Indeed, dry brewer’s yeast is a source of nutrients, such as folates, niacin or thiamine, among others. «But they are such tiny amounts that they should in no way be taken into account from a nutritional point of view.»
The athlete target is also in the target of the beer industry, highlights the dietitian-nutritionist with an accredited specialty in public health and community nutrition by the General Council of Official Colleges of Dietitians-Nutritionists. “There have been campaigns to promote the consumption of 0.0% non-alcoholic beer as a fluid replacement drink for athletes. However, its composition is very far from being an isotonic drink.” That is to say, drinking beer after training is far from fitting into the hydration recommendations for sports. Without forgetting that alcohol dehydrates, just the opposite of what the athlete needs after exhaustive training or a competition.
Is 0.0% beer a good substitute for alcoholic beer?
“From a public health point of view, the controversy that accompanies these non-alcoholic beverages is that, although they do not contain alcohol or only contain small amounts, they can be a way to start the consumption of alcoholic beverages or increase their consumption. . , perpetuating the environment of easy access to alcoholic beverages.”
The expert also remembers the high content of these drinks in free sugars and calories: A bottle of 0.0% beer (330 ml) would provide between 70-80 kcal, mostly from sugars.»
What are the harms of consuming beer?
Low-alcohol fermented drinks, such as beer or wine, are commonly consumed within the eating pattern of the Mediterranean diet. A consumption whose roots are linked to social and cultural factors. “However, they are not compelling arguments for its consumption to be associated with improvements in health or a reduction in the risk of diseases. And much less, to promote the early start of consumption among young people, or to provide environments that are accessible to alcoholic beverages and at very considerable prices,” says Moñino.
In conclusion, he emphasizes that “science unanimously affirms that No amount of alcohol, no matter how small and regardless of the drink from which it comes, is free of health risk.. Not consuming it is the only way to avoid its harmful effects on our health and on society, considering that these damages transcend the mere personal sphere.”
[1] The use of the term ‘calories’ in colloquial language, despite being very popular, is inaccurate. In reality, it is not ‘calories’, but ‘kilocalories’, that is, 1,000 calories. However, to adapt to common language and avoid misunderstandings, we will also use the term calories in that colloquial, but inaccurate, meaning.
The ALDI Council
Whether it is in a glass bottle or can, do not forget to place the container in the appropriate container for recycling.
Manuel Moñino. Honorary member of the body of academics, the scientific committee and the Scientific Knowledge Management Area and coordinator of the Specialization groups of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And Senior Consultant in Community Nutrition and Public Health. She is a Dietitian-Nutritionist from the University of the Basque Country. Specialist in Communication of Health Sciences and Human Nutrition from the University of the Balearic Islands. Project coordinator of the College of Dietitians-Nutritionists of the Balearic Islands and researcher assigned to CIBEROBN of the Carlos III Institute for the PREDIMED and PREDIMED PLUS studies. Coordinates the EFAD Public Health Group and the Scientific Committee of the «5 a day» Association. Author of 11 book chapters, 19 articles in indexed journals, 30 communications at international and 38 national conferences. Member of scientific and organizing committees in 18 conferences, 9 of them international. Twitter: @monyino
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