What is the healthiest beer to drink? (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest beer to drink? ›

Some nutrition experts consider craft beer a more functional beverage since beer imparts medical benefits to the drinker. The healthiest are stouts and porters, and higher hoppy beers, such as DIPAs and Imperial IPAs, Trappist beers, and spontaneous fermented beers, such as Lambics and Gose.

Some nutrition experts consider craft beer a more functional beverage since beer imparts medical benefits to the drinker. The healthiest are stouts and porters, and higher hoppy beers, such as DIPAs and Imperial IPAs, Trappist beers, and spontaneous fermented beers, such as Lambics and Gose.

The study suggests that hops actually “protects against accumulation of liver fat” — so basically, pale ales are the healthiest beer to consume if you're concerned about your health but don't want to give up the delicious beverage.

But apparently there's one kind of beer that's a little less toxic than every other kind of alcohol. According to a new study published in Oxford's Alcohol and Alcoholism journal, scientists discovered that hoppy beer is significantly less harmful to the liver than liquor and even beer without hops.

So, now on to the all-important question, which alcohol is easiest on the liver? The quick answer is, none of them. The reason is that the main liver-damaging ingredient in all types of alcohol is ethanol. It doesn't matter which alcohol you chose, be it weak beer or grain alcohol.

1) Heart-Friendly Beer

The highest phenol concentrations are available in brews like Yuengling Light Lager, Abita Purple Haze and Left Hand Good Juju. Yuengling provides full flavor while staying light on calories.

Light to moderate amounts of beer may help decrease the risk of diseases such as heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and type 2 diabetes. While there appears to be some benefit to drinking beer, it is not a beverage that individuals should consume excessively.

Heineken: 11.4 grams of carbs, 0 grams of sugar. Budweiser: 10.6 grams of carbs, 0 grams of sugar. Bud Light: 4.6 grams of carbs, 0 grams of sugar. Busch: 6.9 grams of carbs, no sugar reported.

Budweiser was the most valued beer brand worldwide in 2021, with a worth of 16.17 billion U.S. dollars. The brand was followed by Heineken in second and Stella Artois, ranked third. Brand value is a bit of nebulous concept and different definitions exist.

Some options for the healthiest alcohol to drink in moderation include red, white, and sparkling wine, low sugar co*cktails, light beer, and cider.

How many beers a day is safe? ›

To reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men or 1 drink or less in a day for women, on days when alcohol is consumed.

"Alcohol is the worst drink for your liver as it makes it harder on the liver to break down and remove toxins from the body," says Minerva Valencia, RD. "Alcohol is known to cause damage to this vital organ, but a wide variety of alcoholic drinks can also pose health risks," says Janet Coleman, RD at TheConsumerMag.

1. Coffee. Coffee is one of the best beverages you can drink to promote liver health. Studies have shown that drinking coffee protects the liver from disease, even among those who already have problems with this organ.

Red wine, whiskey, tequila, and hard kombucha are healthier options than beer and sugary drinks. The CDC recommends you limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day if you're male and 1 if you're female.

Having 2 to 3 alcoholic drinks every day or binge drinking can harm your liver. Binge drinking is when you drink more than 4 or 5 drinks in a row. If you already have a liver disease, you should stop drinking alcohol. There is no safe amount of alcohol for people with any type of alcoholic liver disease.

Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Eat a well-balanced diet every day. That's five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables, along with fiber from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Be sure to include protein for the enzymes that help your body detox naturally.

Summary. Across the month, your body is likely to have benefitted greatly from giving up alcohol. Better hydration and improved sleep will have increased your productivity and daily wellbeing. Your liver, stomach and skin will also have benefitted from not dealing with alcohol.

It is estimated that alcohol-related fatty liver disease develops in 90% of people who drink more than 40g of alcohol (or four units) per day. That's roughly the equivalent of two medium (175ml) glasses of 12% ABV wine, or less than two pints of regular strength (4% ABV) beer.

Everclear – This type of grain alcohol is 190 proof in its purest form, making it the most dangerous kind of alcohol a person can consume. Even two shots of Everclear can land a person in the emergency room – easily.

Generally, symptoms of alcoholic liver disease include abdominal pain and tenderness, dry mouth and increased thirst, fatigue, jaundice (which is yellowing of the skin), loss of appetite, and nausea. Your skin may look abnormally dark or light.

Which alcohol is worse for high blood pressure? ›

Summary: Whether the drink of choice is a frosty beer or a full-bodied red wine, the effect is the same – higher blood pressure, according to research reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

It's the calories and carbs that count.

Michelob Ultra keeps its stats low. The 4.2-percent-ABV beer has just 95 calories per 12-ounce serving. That's less than the calorie count in almost every competitor, including Bud Light (110 calories), Coors Light (102 calories), and Miller Lite (96 calories).

Anti-inflammatory Benefits

“Moderate alcohol consumption reduces biomarkers of inflammation, including c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, and TNF-alpha receptor 2,” says Karen Costenbader, MD, MPH, a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Moderate alcohol use for healthy adults generally means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men. Examples of one drink include: Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters)

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking is considered to be in the moderate or low-risk range for women at no more than three drinks in any one day and no more than seven drinks per week. For men, it is no more than four drinks a day and no more than 14 drinks per week.

Beer: Which Is the More Addicting and Damaging Type of Alcohol? Alcohol is generally made up of the same compounds, so beer and hard liquor both pose similar risks to a person's health. The only catch is that hard liquor comes with a higher threat because it contains a higher alcohol content than beer.

Hoppy craft beers like IPAs and stouts tend to be much higher in carbs, usually 15 grams or more per serving. They also tend to be higher in calories and alcohol, so it's best to stick with just one serving.

Beer can increase blood glucose levels: Beer contains carbohydrates, which get absorbed into the bloodstream relatively quickly, leading to increased glucose levels. Usually, elevated blood sugar is seen shortly after consuming alcohol.

Bud Light. Bud Light is a light lager brewed by Anheuser-Busch that is renowned for its crisp, refreshing flavor and minimal calorie content. What is this? For many years, it has been the most popular beverage in the country.

Corona and Bud Light are the most well-known beer brands in the United States. Both these brands are recognized by 85% of respondents in the U.S. Next on the list is the most valuable beer brand in the world, Budweiser, reaching a brand awareness of 84%.

Which alcohol is good for kidneys? ›

As per reports from a trusted source, the intake of wine decreases the levels of protein in the urine. It has to be considered that it is only true when the amount of wine intake is moderate. The lower level of protein in the urine is good for reducing the risk of kidney diseases.

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks.

No. While you can enjoy alcohol in moderation and make other lifestyle choices that will maintain your hydration, alcohol will never contribute to your hydration goal.

What do you mean by heavy drinking? For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.

Drinking alcoholic beverages, including beer, by healthy people seems to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Moderate alcohol use (one to two drinks per day) reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and heart attack by approximately 30% to 50% when compared with nondrinkers.

Keep your alcohol consumption down to 2 glasses per event. This way, you'll prevent liver damage while still enjoying yourself. Have a Glass of Water Every Hour: Drinking clean, pure water not just helps replace lost fluids from urination, but also reduces alcohol concentration in the blood.

If you stop drinking alcohol for 2 weeks, your liver should return to normal.

Can Apple cider vinegar clean out your liver? ›

Apple Cider Vinegar

Incredible detoxification actions of ACV work to flush out the harmful toxins from the liver that hinders its normal functions. Studies discloses that regular intake of ACV promotes weight loss, diminishes cholesterol levels, lessen inflammation, and uplift the overall health of the liver.

Methanol is the simplest form of alcohol. It is closely related to ethanol, the type of alcohol normally found in beer, wine and spirits – but much more toxic. The potential for its presence in drinks made from home-distilled spirits is a serious health risk.

A 4-ounce pina colada is one of the alcoholic beverages with the most sugar. It contains 28 grams of added sugar, though it all comes from ingredients other than the alcohol. A 4-ounce daiquiri has 6.7 grams of sugar, again none of it from the actual alcohol. Gin, rum, whiskey and vodka don't contain any added sugar.

Alcohol isn't a healthy choice in general, but some alcohol is better for you than others. Red wine, whiskey, tequila, and hard kombucha are healthier options than beer and sugary drinks. The CDC recommends you limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day if you're male and 1 if you're female.

The best beer for acid reflux is the Samuel Adams Boston Lager, a well-known barley lager that tastes great. Not only does the lager taste great, but it will also help your gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Beer: Which Is the More Addicting and Damaging Type of Alcohol? Alcohol is generally made up of the same compounds, so beer and hard liquor both pose similar risks to a person's health. The only catch is that hard liquor comes with a higher threat because it contains a higher alcohol content than beer.

Alcoholic beer is likely safe for most adults when used in moderation (two 12-ounce glasses daily). But drinking more than this is possibly unsafe. Drinking higher amounts of alcoholic beer can cause, blackouts, drowsiness, low blood sugar, vomiting, and other serious problems.

"Hard liquor contains more alcohol than beer or wine, making it more dangerous for your liver," continues Coleman. "A single shot of 80-proof hard liquor contains about 15 grams of alcohol and most shots contain even more alcohol than this." Another alcoholic beverage also takes a considerable toll on your liver.

Red wine is widely recognized as one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks out there. Poon notes that it's "relatively low in calories and also offers some health benefits."9 She adds that red wine is rich in antioxidants such as resveratrol and proanthocyanidins and can promote cardiovascular health.

What alcohol gives you a beer belly? ›

Any type of alcohol can play a role in the formation of a beer belly, according to MayoClinic.com. Straight shots of hard liquor, such as vodka, rum, tequila and whiskey contain about 64 calories per ounce, so it'll take longer for the calories to cause a beer belly, but it is possible.

Beer is rich in healthy compounds called polyphenols, which reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut. This creates a good place for beneficial bacteria to grow, Faria says.

You can't go wrong if you choose from the following: liquor, red or white wine (the drier the better), Champagne, or light beer. Anything with a B- rating or higher from this incredibly helpful list should get you where you need to go without doing excessive damage to your waistband.

Drinking a large amount of alcohol, even for just a few days, can lead to a build-up of fats in the liver. This is called alcoholic fatty liver disease, and is the first stage of ARLD. Fatty liver disease rarely causes any symptoms, but it's an important warning sign that you're drinking at a harmful level.

According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture , adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women, ...

The general rule is that one 12-ounce (354-ml) beer with 5% ABV equals one shot of 40% ABV liquor.