With South African beer drinkers being the discerning lot they are, and with world markets having opened up over the years and imported beers becoming a familiar sight on local shelves, it’s worth knowing that the amber liquid can be good for you, in moderation, with some beers being healthier than others.
In recent years, researchers have been accumulating evidence to suggest that certain beers could help improve the diversity of species in the gut microbiome, something which tends to be associated with health benefits.
Last year, reports The Telegraph, a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry followed 22 men who drank a little more than 500ml of beer every day for four weeks and found that they subsequently had better markers of intestinal health.
Now, a review of experiments published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition has concluded that the various ingredients within beer may have a positive impact on the immune system, when broken down and fermented within the gut.
Megan Rossi, a nutrition researcher at King’s College London and founder of The Gut Health Doctor, said this was due to plant chemicals known as polyphenols found in certain beers, known to be useful foods for the bacteria in the gut. “Bacteria have been shown to digest about 90% of polyphenols and turn them into chemicals, which can have anti-inflammatory effects,” she said.
However, Belgian professor Jeroen Raes, who has examined the possible effects of beer on the microbiome as part of the Flemish Gut Flora Project, cautions we still know relatively little and that the alcohol within beer may cancel out any positive findings.
“My feeling is that if beer has an effect on the gut, the effect size will be relatively limited,” he says. “And I’m not certain that it’s … a beneficial one.”
But scientists believe the emerging research points to some beers being potentially better for you than others.
Gut-friendly beers
1. Guinness
From the 1920s to the 1960s, this British brand is arguably the world’s most popular stout.
Experts say it’s thought to be rich in certain plant chemicals. “Some polyphenols are particularly high in Guinness,” says Rossi. “We talk about diversity (being good for the gut), and that’s the case for drinks as well. So, if you drank a little bit of Guinness one night, and then a little red wine another time, while keeping within the alcohol limit, that’s probably going to get you a wider range of these polyphenols.”
2. Newcastle Brown Ale
“It’s not a health drink, but some of these ales will contain more of these useful chemicals as well as yeast strains left in the beer,” says Federica Amati, a medical scientist at Imperial College London. “They’re probably not going to be alive, but there’s a vein of thought that they still have some sort of beneficial impact on our immune system when they reach the gut.”
3. Hoegaarden
Unlike most beers, Belgian brands such as Hoegaarden, are fermented twice, initially in the brewery and again in the bottle. This second fermentation uses a different strain from the traditional brewer’s yeast, which increases the strength of the beer, but also means that it contains more potentially useful microbes.
“Even dead yeasts could have an effect on the composition of the microbiota, and it could also have an effect on transit times,” says Raes. “When you pour the beer at the end, the final pour is a bit more opaque and that’s actually your yeast.”
4. London Porter Dark Ale
It’s not just Belgian beers that contain some gut-boosting yeast at the bottom. Amati says that you can often spot this with craft or artisan beers, as well as the darker ales.
“When you look in the actual bottle and see a little bit of sediment on the bottom, that’s always a good sign.”
5. Stella Artois Unfiltered
When opting for a lager, the rule is to try to find an unfiltered version. Many drinkers prefer this as it allows for a more complex flavour and aroma, but the lack of processing also means there are more potentially useful chemicals left in the drinks.
“If you drink a fairly long fermented and traditionally made beer, so not one that’s super filtered, you will get some of those polyphenols and yeast strains left in the beer,” says Amati.
6. Doom Bar Zero Alcohol Free Amber Ale
Drinking alcohol-free beers could offer all the benefits to your gut, without the disadvantages of the actual alcohol content. This particular brand is a good example of a darker, non-alcoholic ale, which is more likely to contain helpful plant chemicals.
Beers to avoid
1. Heineken
Heavily filtered and carbonated lagers will contain less beneficial nutrients for the gut.
2. Budweiser Lager
Another filtered (American) beer, this will have less polyphenols than ale.
3. San Miguel
This popular lager, from the Philippines, is likely to contain fewer microbes than the twice-fermented Belgian beers.
4. Peroni
Like the other filtered lagers, this Italian import is light on gut-friendly plant chemicals.
5. Stella Artois normal lagers
If you’re looking for a gut-friendly version, opt for their unfiltered lager.
6. Heineken alcohol-free lager
Just like the alcoholic versions, alcohol-free lagers are less likely to have any real benefits for your gut.
The gut experts emphasise that alcoholic drinks do not equate to health drinks and often, any benefits for the gut are likely to be cancelled out by the impact of alcohol on the body.
Rossi also advocates drinking no more than one or two alcoholic drinks at a time.
“When we’re talking about any anti-inflammatory benefits for the gut from these darker beers, that becomes pro-inflammatory after about two drinks,” she says.
“That’s because the alcohol starts to make the gut a little bit leaky, allowing things to move from our gut into the bloodstream that wouldn’t normally be there, and causing low-grade inflammation.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
One beer daily could boost your gut microbiome – Portuguese study
Why low and alcohol free beers could be considered health drinks
Beer, spirits detrimental to visceral fat and heart, but not wine – US study