Alcohol-free beer is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. It is considered healthier than normal beer, as it contains no or hardly any alcohol and therefore also has fewer calories. Especially athletes like to resort to the alcohol-free variant after training. But is non-alcoholic beer really healthy? Read here what you always wanted to know about alcohol-free beer.
Alcohol-free beer: few calories
In any case, positive about alcohol-free beer is that it has relatively few calories. Thus, half a liter of alcohol-free Pils brings it just about 120 kilocalories – that’s only about half of a normal beer. Even in contrast to some soft drinks, non-alcoholic beer performs well: for example, a half liter of apple spritzer has 150 kilocalories, and a half liter of cola even 215 kilocalories. You can burn off 120 kilocalories relatively quickly by exercising: For example, an 80-kilogram man burns the calories just by jogging for ten minutes. After sports, therefore, a non-alcoholic beer is quite permissible for refreshment. However, if you want to lose weight through sports, you should rather drink water.
Suitable for athletes
However, athletes resort to a non-alcoholic beer not only because of the relatively low calorie content, but also because most varieties belong to the isotonic drinks. Isotonic means that the beverage is just as concentrated in terms of the composition of its salts as the body fluids. This means that water and mineral losses can be compensated for particularly quickly after sports. The beer bottle often bears a special note stating that it is an isotonic beverage. Non-alcoholic beer is also suitable for athletes because of its maltodextrin content. The carbohydrate mixture ensures that glycogen stores emptied by exercise are replenished. However, maltodextrin contains less sugar than, for example, a juice spritzer. Another advantage for athletes is that non-alcoholic beer contains magnesium, which helps prevent cramps. In addition to magnesium, the barley juice also contains potassium and various B vitamins. However, the sodium content is too low for athletes.
Alcohol content equal to zero?
Alcohol-free beer should not contain alcohol according to the name, however, this is not quite true. Many varieties nevertheless contain alcohol – but only in very small quantities: The alcohol content must be less than 0.5 percent. Similarly small amounts are also produced in some fruit juices by fermentation processes. You can’t get drunk on this amount of alcohol. In other countries, the regulations regarding the alcohol content of non-alcoholic beer are stricter: In Great Britain, for example, non-alcoholic varieties may contain no more than 0.05 percent alcohol. In Germany, too, there are repeated calls for beers with a low alcohol content to be labeled “low-alcohol” rather than “alcohol-free.”
Healthy or unhealthy?
Alcohol-free beer is healthier than regular beer in many ways: it has fewer calories and the liver is less stressed by the lack of alcohol. In addition, alcohol-free beer is also said to have a positive effect on the immune system. According to a study, the polyphenols contained in the beer are responsible for this. These are supposed to kill viruses and bacteria, intercept free radicals and also have an anti-inflammatory effect. However, such polyphenols are also found in many other foods – for example, apples, eggplants, onions or blueberries. So they are no excuse for drinking gallons of non-alcoholic beer. In general, it’s okay to have a non-alcoholic beer now and then. However, you should still cover your fluid needs with water as much as possible. 5 facts about non-alcoholic beer – rawpixel, Ake
Non-alcoholic beer during pregnancy
During pregnancy, many women indulge in a non-alcoholic beer every now and then. Presumably, this is harmless – however, the consumption should be kept within limits, because in non-alcoholic beer are often still small amounts of alcohol. However, such small amounts can also form in opened fruit juices.
Non-alcoholic beer and gout
For gout patients, however, non-alcoholic beer is definitely off-limits: after all, it contains just as many purines as normal beer.Since purines can contribute to triggering a gout attack, gout patients are generally better off avoiding beer – whether non-alcoholic or not.
Production of non-alcoholic beer
In the production of non-alcoholic beer, a basic distinction is made between two different methods. In 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 in the normal way. The alcohol is then removed from it by distillation.
