You might have noticed that a few too many trips to the pub has led to a little extra padding around your midsection, but recent studies have found that the two are not necessarily linked. According to wellness experts, beer is not causing your misnamed ‘beer belly’, and, when enjoyed in moderation, beer can actually nutritionally benefit your wellbeing.
In Dr Kathryn O’Sullivan’s scientific review, Beer & calories; a scientific review, which she conducted for the British Beer and Pub Association, she notes that beer can benefit your health because it provides certain vitamins, fibre and antioxidants your body needs. According to Dr O’Sullivan, ‘Beer drinking in Britain has become regarded by many as a vice and not a component of a healthy balanced lifestyle. But this is contrary to the latest scientific evidence.’
However, though Dr O’Sullivan says that the data from her study debunks the myth of ‘beer belly,’ she is quick to add that this doesn’t mean you can drink yourself under the table and not damage your wellness. She warns that anything you drink in excess will lead to weight gain, but ‘moderate beer consumption does not lead to weight gain or abdominal fatness and the perception that drinking beer results in a beer belly is not supported by the scientific evidence.’
She continues that beer can even be more beneficial in reducing your calorie intake than drinking wine. According to Dr O’Sullivan, ‘it is very unfair’ that ‘beer has this image as a high-calorie, high-fat drink’ because she believes that swapping two large glasses of wine a day with two bottles of lager could save 58,240 calories a year. ‘Enjoyed in moderation, beer, like wine, can provide many essential vitamins and minerals and moderate consumption may also protect against many conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.’
Danish nutritionist Professor Arne Astrup agreed with Dr O’Sullivan’s latest findings. He added, ‘the risk factors for ‘beer belly’ is male gender, age, smoking, physical inactivity, mental stress, impaired sleep, high intake of trans fat, and the use of certain drugs.’ However, he too said that there is currently no scientific evidence that supports the idea of the ‘beer belly.’
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