When you drink beer, most people do not put much thought into what they are doing. It has essentially become muscle memory for them. They come home from work, go to a social gathering, and grab a beer. It was a habit that developed years ago, but most likely without much thought put into it.
The reality is that beer, just like anything else in life, has its advantages and disadvantages. The chemicals within beer can do a lot for a person if used correctly, but beer has some side effects that you may be unaware of and could influence how much beer you consume. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of things going into your body is essential as they will help you calculate whether this is an activity you want to be involved with.
Below we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of drinking beer.
Advantages of drinking beer
It’s always good to start with some positivity, so we will look at the advantages of drinking beer. Now you may assume one of the main advantages is the enjoyment of the drink itself, but there are more technical advantages you should keep in mind with beer. Here are just a few examples.
- Helps to strengthen bones – With the silicone content within beer, it is practical to believe that it can help build strong bones. Not only that, but dietary silicon from orthosilicic acid within beer reduces your chances of developing osteoporosis.
- Improvement of memory – The hops within beer contain an ingredient called xanthohumol. This flavonoid reduces the degradation process of your memory. These ingredients even go as far as to protect brain cells from oxidative damage that could lead to dementia.
- Can help prevent kidney stones – Beer has the lowest alcoholic content of any alcoholic beverage. What it lacks in alcohol is made up for in water content. This high water content helps to remove toxins from the body, which as a result, will allow the kidney to continue operating correctly. If you are a casual beer drinker, this beer intake will also lower the calcium released from the bones and prevent kidney stone development.
So other than simply the taste or the feeling after several beers. Beer holds a more valuable role in your overall health. Now, this needs to be caveated by saying that this does not mean that you should bring beer into your daily routine to acquire these benefits. It simply means that there are some health benefits to drinking beer.
Disadvantages of drinking beer
Everything in life that has good features also has a downside. Here are some of the downsides of drinking beer.
- Filled with calories – From a nutritional standpoint, beer is not the healthiest thing you should drink. The expression “beer belly” is a fun way of expressing it, but drinking beer causes your body to burn fewer calories than it would under normal circumstances. The alcohol in the beer gets converted into acetate once it reaches the liver. In return, your body will burn the acetate for energy, but the excess fat will then be stored in your hips and, most notably, your belly.
- Excessive gluten content – most beers you will find contain malted barley. This barley contains glucose, which some bodies cannot take properly. You should not drink beer if you are sensitive to gluten, or you may want to seek out alternatives.
- Inability to function – When people think of intoxication or “getting drunk,” they think of it as something that happens with only vodka, whiskey, etc. Beer can get you “drunk,” albeit it takes more beers to do so, but it will happen. This “drunk” state means you risk losing your motor skills or decision-making ability, which are two fundamental things for humans. Whether through vodka, or Miller Lite, if someone is “drunk,” they should avoid any rigorous activity.
Beer has its flaws, and just as it can help with a person’s health, it can also lead to its deterioration. Just as beer has chemicals that are good for our health, it has chemicals that are bad for our health. So whenever you decide to take a drink of beer, you should always keep these disadvantages in mind. That is not to say you should never drink beer, but it does mean that you should monitor the number of beers you drink.
Is beer good or bad to consume?
The question of whether a beer is good or bad to consume is case-by-case, but the word you should associate with beer the most is “moderation.” Beer is not a bad thing that needs to be avoided at all costs unless that is your own decision, but beer consumption does need to get cut off at some point during the day. Most of the disadvantages only come about from excessive beer consumption. If you drink six or seven beers daily, you have a greater risk than if you drink one or two beers daily. On the other hand, the advantages will also be there if you drink only one or two daily beers. So when it comes to whether you should drink beer, that is a decision you should make around your current lifestyle, and you should weigh the risk/benefit ratio. Many people enjoy drinking beer and get the advantages while avoiding the disadvantages.
How much beer is recommended daily?
Regarding medical studies and what specialists recommend, men should drink no more than two beers daily, while women should consume no more than one beer daily. These will help avoid the disadvantages and, although at a slower pace, will allow you to gain the advantages. But no matter the specialist, the same motto applies regardless of “Drink responsibility.”
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
