Is Non-Alcoholic Beer Healthy?
You asked, we answer! We are taking a break from our usual content to kick-off a series of posts focused around questions we hear all the time. We wanted to take a minute before we launch to get to the bottom of some commonly asked questions around non-alcoholic beer. This week, we are answering, “is non-alcoholic beer healthy?”
It’s easy to get in a rabbit hole on this one, but we are starting with the definition of healthy. Everyone has their own interpretation, and we certainly respect that. The most common definition we found was, “a state of complete emotional and physical well-being.”
Health is a very personal journey filled with trial and experimentation. In this post, we will explore some of the health benefits of non-alcoholic beer, and with that information, you may make the decision for yourself. Richie Crowley wrote a great article highlighting the benefits of non-alcoholic beer (including having one for breakfast) which inspired this post and gave us many of the answers we were searching for. Thank you to Richie for the awesome content.
- Phenols – Health benefits of phenols & non-alcoholic (NA) beer exploded in the news during the 2018 Olympics as German athletes were drinking steins of NA beer during the medal ceremony. According to an NPR.org article, phenol-rich diets tend to lower inflammation and reduce the risk of sickness. A study was done with Appalachian State University’s David Nieman and the University of Munich which instructed marathon runners to drink 1.5 liters of non-alcoholic beer per day. Results? Their risk of upper respiratory infection was reduced, and the activity of white blood cells (a good indicator of inflammation) was lowered 20%.
- Hydration – Alcohol is a diuretic and promotes the removal of excess water, salt, etc. A medical study done in June 2016 suggested that non-alcoholic beer before exercise could help maintain electrolyte homeostasis during exercise. Electrolytes are important because they regulate myocardial and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid-base balance, and other biological processes.
- Moderation/Abstinence – Swapping out a non-alcoholic beer for your regular brew can also have some health benefits. Excessive alcohol use over time has been linked to a lot of health risks including the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.
Everyone is on a journey, and for those trying to improve their health, we hoped this cleared up some of your questions. Please reach out with any questions or suggestions for future posts. We hope y’all are having a great start to your November!
Take care and be well,
Emree