Beer does not make you fat. In fact, no one food or drink makes you fat. The way you become fat is through overeating, reduced exercise and an unwillingness to change your habits. However, those who consistently drink beer may find themselves with excess fat deposits from an increase in calories and lack of exercise. Although it may be referred to as a "beer belly," beer does not cause extra fat deposits in the abdomen alone.
Ingredients in Beer
The use of beer dates back to ancient Egyptians, who used it as a mouthwash, enema and wound healer, according to the University of California Davis. Beer's four main ingredients are malt, water, yeast and hops. Each ingredient plays a role in the production and taste of the final product. The type of yeast used will also determine if the beer becomes an ale or a lager. It is not the ingredients in beer that cause weight gain, but rather the combination of increased calories from drinking and the reduced number of calories burned from lack of activity.
Calories
Calories are an important factor in the development of obesity. Being overweight places you at greater risk for developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis and some forms of cancer. While a light beer may have 100 calories per 12-oz. serving, compared to the 140 to 200 calories in a regular beer, those 100 calories can quickly become 300 calories with just three beers. One pound of weight is equal to 3,500 calories. This means that if you don't change your eating or exercise habits and add just five regular beers a week, you can gain 1 lb. every 3.5 weeks.
Hidden Risks
Physicians with the U.K.'s National Health Service warn of hidden risks when drinking alcohol. While binge drinking is associated more often with younger adults, it is the older "social drinker" who can suffer long-term related illnesses, including mouth cancer, breast cancer, hypertension and stroke. Researchers who studied the psychological functioning of young Danish adults published their findings in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" in August 2001. They found that those who consistently drank beer had low scores in the variables of parental education, IQ and socioeconomic status. These variables have also been associated with individuals who suffer from obesity in research performed at Middle Tennessee State University.
Nutritional Value
Beer does appear to have some hidden nutritional value, as reported by Charles Bamforth, chair of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California Davis. He notes that beer contains antioxidants that may help protect the body against heart disease and some forms of cancers. Antioxidants are chemicals found in plant-based food that help protect DNA against damage done by chemicals that are the result of metabolism. Bamforth does caution that the nutritional content of beer varies depending upon the ingredients and techniques used in processing.
References
- UC Davis; Beer Has Hidden Nutritional Value, Study Says; March 2002
- Sally's Place; How Beer Is Made; Sara Doersam
- University of Rochester Health Services: Caloric Values of Alcoholic Beverages
- National Health Service: "Social Drinking":The Hidden Risks
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Better Psychological Functioning and Higher Social Status May Largely Explain the Apparent Health Benefits of Wine; E. Mortensen, Ph.D., et al.; August 2001
- Indiana University; Age, Socioeconomic Status and Obesity Growth; C. Baum, et al.; July 2007
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