Daily Beer Drinking: Exploring The Unseen Health Effects

Beer is a popular alcoholic drink made by brewing and fermenting cereal grains with yeast, hops, and other flavouring agents. It is available in alcoholic and non-alcoholic forms, with the former typically containing 4–5% alcohol by volume.

Drinking one or two standard beers per day may have some health benefits, such as improved heart health, better blood sugar control, stronger bones, and reduced dementia risk. However, heavy and binge drinking can have the opposite effects, increasing the risk of early death, alcohol dependence, depression, liver disease, weight gain, and cancers.

According to a 2021 review, drinking beer has been linked to increased bone mineral density for both men and women, and the consumption of one beer per week has been associated with a lower risk of hip fracture. However, more research is needed to support this and evaluate if the benefits outweigh the potential downsides of beer consumption.

In addition, beer contains a variety of B vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, selenium, and thiamine, as a result of being made from cereal grains and yeast. However, it is not a good source of these nutrients compared to whole foods like fruits and vegetables.

In conclusion, while light to moderate beer intake may be linked to some health benefits, heavy and binge drinking can be extremely harmful.

May improve your bone density

Drinking beer daily may improve bone density, but the evidence is mixed.

A 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who consumed one to two beers or alcoholic drinks daily had higher bone mineral density than non-drinking men. Postmenopausal women who consumed one to two drinks per day had a higher bone mineral density in the spine and hip area than non-drinking women. The authors of the study concluded that the "tendency toward stronger associations between [bone density] and beer or wine, relative to liquor, suggests that constituents other than ethanol may contribute to bone health".

A 2016 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men who drank beer monthly had a lower risk of mortality than those who drank beer daily. However, the study also found that men who drank beer daily had a higher risk of mortality than those who drank beer occasionally.

A 2008 study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found an association between greater dietary silicon intake and higher bone mineral density in the hip. Beer is a good source of silicon, and a 2010 paper found that an analysis of 100 commercial beers found silicon content ranged from 6.4 mg/L to 56.5 mg/L, with an average of 30 mg/L.

A 2011 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that alcohol abstainers had a higher risk of all-cause mortality than moderate drinkers. The study defined moderate drinking as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

However, a 2019 analysis of six studies published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found a positive relationship between alcohol consumption and osteoporosis. The study found that compared with abstainers, people who consumed 0.5 to 1 drink per day had 1.38 times the risk of developing osteoporosis, people who consumed 1 to 2 drinks per day had 1.34 times the risk, and people who consumed 2 drinks or more per day had 1.63 times the risk.

A 2018 Korean study found that heavy drinking was associated with lower bone mineral density. A 2016 Indian study found that the prevalence of osteopenia is between 34 and 48 percent among those with alcoholic liver disease, and the prevalence of osteoporosis for this population is between 11 and 36 percent.

Overall, while some studies suggest that drinking beer daily may improve bone density, other studies suggest that heavy drinking is associated with lower bone mineral density and an increased risk of osteoporosis.

May disrupt your sleep

Drinking beer daily may disrupt your sleep. Alcohol can affect your brain's communication pathways and impair your sleep, memory, and reflexes. Even light drinking can cause a decrease in sleep quality. The liver metabolises alcohol, which can result in a fitful night of sleep.

May slow down your weight-loss process

Drinking beer daily may slow down your weight-loss process. Alcohol is a toxin, and when consumed, it goes directly to the liver. The liver prioritises getting rid of this toxin first, slowing down the entire fat-burning process.

According to Kimberly Gomer, M.S., RD, LDN, "The body has no ability to store alcohol, as it recognises it as a toxin. It is then prioritised by the liver to be used for energy."

Additionally, drinking beer daily may cause digestive issues. Alcohol can irritate the small intestine and colon, affecting the normal speed at which food moves through them, which may result in abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhoea.

However, a 2020 study in Molecules suggests that due to beer's fermented compounds, this alcoholic beverage could potentially benefit your gut health.

May cause digestive issues

Drinking beer daily may cause digestive issues. Alcohol is first broken down in the stomach, promoting an increase in digestive juices. It also irritates the small intestine and colon, where it is further broken down and absorbed. It can also affect the normal speed at which food moves through the digestive tract, which may result in abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhoea.

When consumed in large amounts, alcohol can cause intestinal inflammation and issues within the gastrointestinal tract and the liver. It can also negatively alter the bacteria in your gut and permeate the lining of the intestine (leaky gut syndrome), making the body more susceptible to alcohol-related diseases, including alcoholic fatty liver disease.

However, some research suggests that due to beer's fermented compounds, it could potentially benefit your gut health.

May increase your risk of chronic diseases

Drinking beer daily may increase your risk of chronic diseases. According to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, even light drinking heightens the risk of death. People who have one or two drinks four or more times a week have a 20% higher risk of premature death compared to those who drink three times a week or less. This increased risk is consistent across all age groups.

Drinking beer daily may also increase your risk of cancer. While drinking a little may help protect the heart in some cases, daily consumption increases a person's risk of cancer. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, any level of drinking is associated with an increased risk of early death, cancer, and cardiovascular events.

In addition, excessive drinking can increase your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and cardiomyopathy, a disorder that affects the heart muscle. It can also negatively impact your gastrointestinal tract and liver, causing intestinal inflammation and altering the bacteria in your gut.

Drinking beer daily may also disrupt your sleep. Alcohol can affect your brain's communication pathways and impair your sleep, memory, and reflexes. Even light drinking can decrease your sleep quality.

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