Ginger beer -- often called ginger ale -- isn't alcoholic. Instead, it's merely a sweet, carbonated drink made with ginger flavor or fresh ginger. There aren't any major health benefits associated with drinking ginger beer, unless you suffer from nausea; in that case, ginger beer can help relieve your symptoms.
Ginger
Ginger root contains a molecule called zingerone that is chemically similar to the capsaicin in hot peppers and the piperine in black pepper. Like capsaicin and piperine, zingerone causes a mild burning sensation; it does this because it binds to pain receptors, explain Drs. Penny Le Couteur and Jay Bureson in their book "Napoleon's Buttons." This confuses your brain, which can't process the pain signal and nausea at the same time; for this reason, ginger is a common anti-nausea remedy.
Ginger Beer
While there are "gingered beers" that contain alcohol, true ginger beer isn't an alcoholic beverage. There's no real distinction between ginger beer and ginger ale, though many store-bought brands of ginger ale are made with ginger flavoring rather than with fresh ginger, while ginger beer almost always contains fresh ginger as a brewing ingredient. There have been no scientific studies that have proven ginger beer to be beneficial to your health.
Special Uses
Though ginger beer may not technically improve your health, as long as it's made with fresh ginger, it can certainly improve your level of comfort if you suffer from nausea. Ginger and ginger-containing foods like ginger beer are particularly popular as home remedies for motion sickness and morning sickness. Pregnant women can't use many anti-nausea drugs, explain Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book "What to Expect When You're Expecting," so ginger beer is a popular non-pharmaceutical option.
Drawbacks
Aside from ginger, ginger beer also contains sugar and carbonation. The carbonation increases the acidity of the beverage, meaning that it isn't good for your teeth if you're exposed to it regularly. Furthermore, sugar is a source of chemical energy, and if you consume too much of it, you'll store the excess as body fat. As such, you shouldn't consume large quantities of ginger beer, or any other food with added sugar.
References
- "Napoleon's Buttons"; Penny Le Couteur and Jay Bureson; 2004
- "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel; 2008
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