Guinness Beer: Healthy Choice Or Dark Deception?

Is Guinness beer healthy? This is a question that has been asked for decades, with the beer's iconic status and famous advertising slogans such as Guinness is Good for You and Guinness for Strength contributing to a perception of it as a relatively nutritious drink. While it is true that Guinness contains antioxidants, B vitamins, fibre, and prebiotics, and may even have positive effects on heart health and bone density, it is still an alcoholic drink and should be consumed in moderation. So, while Guinness may have some health benefits, it is important to remember that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to health problems and that the potential benefits should always be weighed against the risks.

Guinness is low-calorie

Guinness beer is known for its creamy texture, dark colour, and rich, caramel-tinged flavour. However, despite its rich flavour and creamy consistency, Guinness is not the highest in calories compared to other beers. In fact, Guinness is lower in calories than the average beer.

A 12-ounce serving of Guinness draught has 125 calories, while Budweiser has 145 calories, Heineken has 142 calories, and Samuel Adams Cream Stout has 189 calories. In the United States, Guinness Extra Stout has 149 calories.

The reason Guinness is lower in calories than other beers is because it has a lower alcohol content. Guinness has an alcohol content of 4.2% or 4.3%, while most popular lager beers in the U.S. are at least 5%. Alcohol is the main source of calories in any alcoholic beverage, so a Guinness will naturally be lower in calories than a beer containing 5% or more alcohol.

The nitrogenation process used by the makers of Guinness, which pairs nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide, also contributes to the beer's smooth and creamy texture without adding any extra calories.

So, if you're looking for a beer that's lower in calories, Guinness is a good option. However, it's important to remember that alcohol consumption can contribute to weight gain and other health issues, so it's always best to drink in moderation.

It has vitamins and minerals

Guinness beer is known for its rich, dark colour and velvety texture. But is it good for you?

Guinness contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, silicon, calcium, iron, and flavonoids. B vitamins are essential for the body to make DNA and other genetic material, and silicon may help protect against osteoporosis. Guinness also contains calcium, which is important for bone health, and iron, which is necessary for preventing anaemia. Flavonoids are antioxidants that give fruits and vegetables their dark colour and may help to reduce the risk of heart attack by preventing blood clotting.

According to brewing expert Charles Bamforth, Guinness is one of the richest sources of these nutrients when compared to other beers. Bamforth's research found that stouts, on average, contain 12.8 micrograms of folate, a B vitamin, or 3.2% of the recommended daily allowance. Guinness also contains more fibre than other beers due to its high content of unmalted barley, which has more fibre than malted grain.

While Guinness does contain vitamins and minerals, it is important to remember that it is still alcohol, and consuming too much can have negative health effects. Heavy drinking is associated with health problems such as liver disease, pancreatitis, and high blood pressure. Additionally, alcohol is a teratogen, which means it can cause birth defects, and is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

It's heart-healthy

While Guinness is not as healthy as a vegetable, stouts and other beers may be justified in their nutritional bragging rights. Guinness contains a fair amount of folate, a B vitamin that our bodies need to make DNA and other genetic material. It is also necessary for cells to divide. Bamforth, a brewing expert, says Guinness is one of the richer sources of these nutrients.

A 2021 review in Nutrients found that moderate beer consumption—up to one beer per day for females and two per day for males—is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. Moderate beer consumption may also increase bone mineral density, according to this review.

Since beer is made with barley, a whole grain, it contributes some antioxidants (heart-healthy polyphenols), B vitamins, fiber, and prebiotics to your beverage. The polyphenols from barley and hops have been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce your risk for heart disease, and protect against free radicals, according to research like the 2020 review in Nutrition Reviews.

While early studies done specifically on Guinness found that drinking Guinness offered more protective effects against heart conditions than lagers, this research was preliminary and warrants further study. Bamforth says it's likely the alcohol in any beverage—not just Guinness—can protect against atherosclerosis.

In general, moderate alcohol consumption may protect against heart disease. However, heavy drinking and binge drinking are associated with many health problems, including liver disease, pancreatitis, and high blood pressure.

Guinness has flavonoids

Guinness, the famous stout beer, has long been associated with the slogan "Guinness is Good for You". While this claim was initially based on the positive feelings people experienced after drinking a pint, there may be some truth to it.

One notable health benefit of Guinness is its antioxidant content, specifically flavonoids. Flavonoids are plant-based antioxidants found in certain drinks and dark chocolate, as well as dark fruits and berries, green and red vegetables, and spices. A 2003 study at the University of Wisconsin revealed that just over a pint of Guinness could reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the arteries, thereby lowering the chances of a heart attack. This effect was not observed with alternative beers such as lager.

The flavonoids in Guinness contribute to its heart-healthy properties. In addition to flavonoids, Guinness contains vitamin B3, also known as niacin, which helps to reduce cholesterol levels. However, it is important to note that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to an increase in cholesterol.

Guinness also contains iron, although the amount is relatively low at around 0.3 mg per pint. Despite this, it was once common to offer a pint of Guinness to post-op patients, pregnant women, and even people who had donated blood, as it was believed to help replenish iron levels.

While Guinness may offer some nutritional benefits, it is important to remember that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to various health issues. Therefore, moderation is key when it comes to enjoying a pint of Guinness.

It's now vegan

Guinness is now vegan! Since 2018, animal products have not been used as ingredients or filtering agents in the production of Guinness.

Prior to this, Guinness was not considered vegan-friendly. This was due to the use of isinglass, a substance derived from fish bladders, which was used to make the beer clearer.

In 2015, Diageo, the company that manufactures Guinness, announced it would be implementing a new filtration system to eliminate isinglass from the manufacturing process, thereby making Guinness suitable for vegans.

Speaking at the time, Stephen Kilcullen, master brewer and head of quality for Guinness, said that the stout would have been made vegan earlier but the technology did not exist to filter out the yeast without isinglass.

> We wouldn’t compromise on quality so we had to wait for the technology.

Finally, in 2018, Diageo confirmed that all Guinness products worldwide, including Guinness Draught, Guinness Extra Stout, and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, are now isinglass-free and suitable for vegans.

Guinness's alcohol-free beer, Guinness 0.0, is also vegan-friendly. According to Guinness's website:

> Our new state-of-the-art filtration process has removed the use of isinglass as a means of filtration and therefore made the ingredients in Guinness Draught, Guinness Extra Stout, and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout suitable for vegans.

A spokesperson for Diageo also confirmed that the new filtration process does not affect the taste of Guinness, stating:

> The recipe for Guinness has not changed and the taste has not changed. It is still the same great pint of Guinness it has always been.

So, vegans can now enjoy a pint of Guinness without compromising their ethical beliefs or dietary restrictions. Cheers to that!

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