How healthy non-alcoholic beer actually is

Non-alcoholic beer is becoming increasingly popular. It is considered healthier than normal beer because it contains little or no alcohol and is therefore said to have fewer calories. Especially after sports, many people like to use the non-alcoholic version of the drink, as its isotonic effect promises positive effects on the body. But is alcohol-free beer really healthy, when is it better not to drink it and is it completely alcohol-free in any case? Read everything you always wanted to know about non-alcoholic beer here.

Non-alcoholic beer: few calories

In any case, the positive thing about non-alcoholic beer is that it has relatively few calories. Half a liter of non-alcoholic pilsner has just about  120 kilocalories  (502 kilojoules) – that’s only about half that of a normal beer. In contrast to some  soft drinks  , the non-alcoholic beer performs well: for example, half a liter of apple spritzer has 150 kilocalories (620 kilojoules), and half a liter of cola even has 215 kilocalories (900 kilojoules).

You can break down 120 kilocalories relatively quickly through physical training: For example, a man weighing 80 kilograms burns the calories by jogging for ten minutes. After sport, a non-alcoholic beer for refreshment is definitely allowed. However, if you want to lose weight through exercise, it is better to drink water.

Suitable after sport

However, people who do a lot of sport use non-alcoholic beer not only because of the relatively low calorie content, but also because most types are  isotonic drinks  . Isotonic means that the drink is just as concentrated in terms of the composition of its salts as the body fluids. As a result, water and mineral losses can be compensated for particularly quickly after exercise. It is often noted separately on the beer bottle that it is an isotonic drink. So far, however, there are no comprehensive scientific studies that prove a positive effect of isotonic beer on the regeneration of the body after sport.

Alcohol-free beer is also suitable for athletes because of its  maltodextrin content  . The carbohydrate mixture ensures that the glycogen stores emptied by exercise are refilled. However,  maltodextrin contains  less sugar than, for example, a juice spritzer.

It is also beneficial for athletes that alcohol-free beer  contains magnesium  – this can prevent cramps. In addition to magnesium, there is also  potassium  and various  B vitamins  in the beer. However, the sodium content is too low for athletes.

Zero alcohol?

Non-alcoholic beer may not contain any alcohol by name, but that’s not entirely true. There is still alcohol in many varieties – but only in very small quantities: the alcohol content must be  no more than 0.5 percent  . Similarly small amounts are produced by fermentation processes in some fruit juices. You cannot get drunk from this amount of alcohol. Good to know: Malt beer can also contain alcohol, even up to 1 percent is allowed.

If you want to be on the safe side, you should use beers labeled  “0.0 percent by volume”  . In fact, they contain no alcohol at all.

In other countries, the regulations regarding the alcohol content of alcohol-free beer are stricter overall: For example, alcohol-free varieties in Great Britain may contain a maximum of 0.05 percent alcohol. In Germany, too, there are repeated calls for beers with a low alcohol content not to be labeled “alcohol-free” but “low-alcohol”.

Healthy or unhealthy?

Alcohol-free beer is healthier than regular beer  in many ways  : it has fewer calories and the lack of alcohol puts less strain on the liver. Alcohol-free beer is also said to have a positive   effect on the immune system . According to a study, the polyphenols contained in beer are responsible for this. These are said to kill viruses and bacteria, intercept free radicals and also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Such polyphenols are also found in many other foods – for example in  apples ,  aubergines ,  onions  or blueberries. So they’re no excuse for drinking gallons of non-alcoholic beer. In general, you can treat yourself to a non-alcoholic beer every now and then. However, you should still cover most of your fluid needs with water.

Non-alcoholic beer during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many women treat themselves to a non-alcoholic beer from time to time. This is probably harmless – however, consumption should be kept within reasonable limits, because alcohol-free beer often contains small amounts of alcohol. However, such small amounts can also form in opened fruit juices or ripe  bananas  , for example.

Here, too, the following applies: A completely non-alcoholic alternative is drinks labeled “0.0 percent by volume”.

Non-alcoholic beer for gout or diabetes

If you suffer from  gout , alcohol-free beer is definitely taboo: it contains exactly as many  purines  as normal beer. Wheat beer contains a particularly large number of purines. Since uric acid is produced when purines are broken down   , they can contribute to the triggering of a gout attack. Therefore, people with generally better abstain from beer – regardless of whether it is non-alcoholic or not.

People with  diabetes  should also exercise caution when drinking non-alcoholic beer. Depending on the brewing process, alcohol-free beer contains a high proportion of malt sugar, which causes the blood sugar level to rise quickly.

Types of beer in which the alcohol is only removed after the brewing process usually contain less malt sugar. Which type of beer was produced with which brewing process can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

Production of non-alcoholic beer

There are basically two different methods of producing non-alcoholic beer. With the first method, the fermentation process is stopped so early that no alcohol is produced in the first place.

In the second method, the beer is first produced normally. The alcohol is then removed from it by distillation.