Beer, it does not make you fat and non-alcoholic is perfect for sports

There are many beers on the market. Dr. Giorgio Donegani, food technologist expert in nutrition, helps us to clarify a product rich in nutrients

Clear, dark, red, white, non-alcoholic … more than “beer” it makes sense to talk about “beers”, as many as there are on the market. Different in flavor and appearance, they also have different nutritional profiles, managing to satisfy every taste and health need, even those of those who play sports and care about physical fitness

edited by Dr. Giorgio Donegani

Let’s start with a point of clarity: beer does not make you fat. Just check its caloric intake and compare it with that of other beverages, alcoholic and otherwise, to realize how much the label of a “fattening” drink, unfairly stuck to beer, does not find any confirmation in reality. The brand new food composition tables developed by CREA speak for themselves: on average 100 g of light beer gives 34 kcal, very few if we think that the same amount of fruit juice gives an average of 56 kcal and that even more normal orange soda or cola drink. Even milk, with 64 kcal per 100 g, is definitely more caloric than beer, which in any case deserves to be considered much more than a simple drink, due to its richness in components useful for the body.

ALCOHOL YES, ALCOHOL NO – It must be said that the caloric intake of beer strictly depends on its alcohol content (one gram of ethyl alcohol provides 7 kcal), and this determines a variability between the different beers on the market: for the strongest, which reach even 7- 8 degrees alcohol, the calories can even double (however remaining much lower, for the same quantity, than those provided by the wine). Here, however, a fundamental concept comes into play in the context of healthy nutrition: it is the quantity that determines the impact that each food or drink has on the overall dietary balance and on the health of the organism. A moderate consumption allows you to include even beers with higher alcohol content in a healthy and balanced diet and to avoid the possible negative effects related to excessive alcohol intake. Without forgetting that the market still offers a very valid alternative: non-alcoholic beers. Obtained with particular production techniques, they maintain the pleasure of taste by eliminating or reducing the presence of alcohol to insignificant levels. Here then, the calories drop to about twenty per 100 g of beer, coming from a series of useful nutrients.

A NUTRITIONALLY RICH COMPOSITION – In addition to alcohol, in fact, beer contains a quantity of dissolved substances, coming from hops and malt, which perform various positive functions. In addition to a portion of carbohydrates, precious as a source of energy, we also find a certain presence of proteins, and above all a significant amount of vitamin and protective factors. In particular, there are several B vitamins (coming from yeasts), which are involved in the optimization of energy processes and among which folic acid stands out, of which a lack is widespread.

Still on the subject of vitamins, an interesting Dutch research published in Lancet (one of the most prestigious scientific journals), highlighted how moderate consumption of beer also favors the production of vitamin B₆ and reduce the presence ofomocisteina, chemical substance indicated among the contributing causes of heart problems.

NON-ALCOHOLIC, EXCELLENT AFTER SPORT – Even with respect to mineral salts, beer is no joke: it provides good amounts of potassium, necessary for muscle contraction, and the contribution of magnesium, another mineral involved in the efficient functioning of muscles, is also interesting. Without forgetting that beer provides silicon, which is particularly useful for the health of connective tissue, nails and hair, and is low in sodium, for the benefit of regular blood pressure. A profile that qualifies beer as an ideal drink for those who, after sports fatigue, need to rehydrate, recover energy and restore the minerals lost in sweat to the body. Provided only that it is non-alcoholic beer, because the consumption of alcohol in conditions of breathlessness is never recommended. Indeed, a recent Spanish study (conducted by the University of Granada), comparing the effects of equal quantities of water and non-alcoholic beer taken after intense physical activity, has shown that non-alcoholic beer exerts a rehydrating effect greater than that of water itself.

BEER IN THE KITCHEN – Excellent to drink, beer is also an ingredient and a very interesting cooking liquid: in fact, due to the heat the bitter component disappears, while the food is enriched with the aromas of the drink that give a particular liveliness to the bottoms. There are many uses of beer in the kitchen, which have a positive effect on both taste and digestibility. For example, it is used for slow cooking freshwater fish (especially carp) and white meats or similar (chicken, veal and pork). Without forgetting that it makes the batter that wraps the fried food lighter and that it can also be used to prepare soups that are as simple as they are tasty.

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