| Many people, especially young people who wish to | | | | higher bone density, and this may be highly significant |
| approach the beer, often have questions about the | | | | in fighting osteoporosis. |
| quantity of alcohol in the beer, the effect of alcohol | | | | Now we can agree on the point that a moderate |
| on their health and the calories supplied by beer. | | | | quantity of beer is an ally rather that an enemy of |
| Generally, they are concerned that a regular | | | | our health. But what about calories? Are you sure |
| consumption of beer may damage their health or | | | | that drinking beer does not make us fat? To have |
| contribute to make them grow in weight and they | | | | this question answered, please tolerate a little bit of |
| want to know the recommended amount and why it | | | | math. Beer is largely made of water (more than 90 |
| is better to not exceed it. | | | | per cent) where the substances which confer her its |
| Since the safest way to approach alcohol is to know | | | | characteristic flavour are dissolved: useful minerals |
| it, this article wants to give simple basic answers to | | | | (potassium, magnesium), B vitamins, phenolic |
| these common questions: | | | | compounds and other elements without caloric |
| 1. How does alcohol work and what its effects are? | | | | relevance. The calories of a beer are mainly provided |
| 2. How much alcohol and calories are contained in a | | | | by the content of alcohol and unfermented |
| beer? | | | | carbohydrates (i.e. the amount of carbohydrates |
| 3. What is the recommended consumption for a safe | | | | remaining after the fermentation process): alcohol |
| drinking? | | | | provides about 7 kcal per gram, carbohydrates 4 kcal |
| Having a clear vision of these basic questions and | | | | per gram. The quantity of alcohol and carbs are really |
| answers may help, I hope, to approach beer (or wine | | | | variable depending on the different recipes and beer |
| or other alcoholic beverages) without fear and | | | | styles. A 250 ml intake of normal lager (the most |
| without superficiality. | | | | consumed in the world) may contain about 9 g |
| Of course, first answer would require a much deeper | | | | alcohol and something as 7-8 g carbs: hence it |
| discussion. Basically, we can say that alcohol we find | | | | provides less than 100 kcal. This amount is not |
| in alcoholic beverages comes from fermentation of | | | | dramatic and it is lower than the calories of a sugared |
| sugars contained in fruits or, as in the case of beer, | | | | soft drink like Coke (110 kcal for a 250 ml intake). |
| from starch contained in cereals. After digestion, | | | | Let us come to question three now: the proper |
| alcohol enters the blood: in this way, it reaches the | | | | quantity for a safe drinking. To be honest, we should |
| brain and goes around the whole organism. Using | | | | say that probably only God knows what it is for each |
| specific enzymes, liver transforms it in substances | | | | one of us. However, the health authorities of most |
| that kidneys, lungs and skin eliminate through urine, | | | | countries have defined a recommended daily or |
| breath and sweat. In normal conditions, we assume | | | | weekly consumption which can be taken as a valid |
| that the liver is able to transform about 6 grams of | | | | guide to not incur risks. The other valid guide is |
| alcohol every hour. Since 330 ml serving of a lager | | | | ourselves: everyone can learn to detect when the |
| beer (roughly equivalent to 12 fluid oz) at 4.5 % ABV | | | | amount of assumed alcohol is going to become |
| contains approximately 12 g alcohol, it means that it | | | | excessive and then stop before it has become |
| takes two hours to fully dispel a standard can of | | | | excessive. Recommended values are slightly different |
| beer. The elimination is much easier if alcohol is | | | | in each country: generally, we can say they are in the |
| assumed during meals since in this case the release | | | | range 20-40 g a day for healthy men, 16-30 g a day |
| of alcohol into blood is more gradual. Alcohol has | | | | for healthy women. In the USA the limit for men is |
| hence a primary impact on the liver: if liver is charged | | | | 14-28 g/day, with recommendation to not exceed |
| by a continuous heavy work to transform alcohol, it | | | | 196 g/week (14 g/day, 98 g/week for women). |
| may incur grave diseases. | | | | A good reason to follow the guidelines is that alcohol |
| The key fact to keep in mind is that the effects of | | | | may create dependencies and may push us to |
| alcohol on our health strongly depend on the quantity. | | | | assume always increasing quantities. Guidelines are |
| There are no doubts that a prolonged heavy | | | | precious, but in practice, how can we calculate how |
| consumption of alcoholic beverages is harmful to | | | | much grams of alcohol are in a beer? This is the last |
| health and may cause serious diseases as cirrhosis, | | | | task we have to complete. The alcohol content of a |
| stomach cancer, ulcers and mental disorders. But | | | | beverage is commonly expressed as percentage of |
| scientific studies carried out in last century have | | | | the volume (Alcohol By Volume). For example, 4.5 |
| highlighted that a moderate consumption of alcohol | | | | ABV means that 4.5 % of the volume is constituted |
| may be beneficial on many respects: moderate | | | | of alcohol. So, one 330 ml can of beer (roughly |
| drinkers result to be more protected against hearth | | | | equivalent to a can of 12 U.S. oz, which corresponds |
| attacks, hypertension, peripheral artery diseases and | | | | to 355 ml) contains 14.85 ml of alcohol. To obtain the |
| so on. There is a long list of proved benefits of a low | | | | value in grams, we have to multiply by the specific |
| alcohol consumption. Moreover, beer is not just | | | | weight of alcohol, i.e. 0.79: one 330 ml can of beer, |
| alcohol: like wine, beer contains polyphenols, which | | | | contains 11.73 g alcohol (as homework, you could |
| have been demonstrated to have a significant effect | | | | take fun to determine the exact alcohol amount |
| in protecting cells against the negative action of free | | | | contained in 12 U.S. fluid oz). Following the |
| radicals. Beer also has a high concentration of silicon, | | | | government indication, if you are a woman, you |
| an important mineral for the healthy of bones: | | | | would better give up drinking for that day. |
| women who moderately drink beer seem to have a | | | | |
