What a sunny week!
Well, at least where I live…
The springtime really burst into bloom, trees blazing with colour, daffodils and bluebells flecking the greenery and verges bursting with foliage.
It was the beginning of the school Easter holidays last weekend so almost everybody was out and about.
Lara and I walked through town, where I was struck by how many people were eating and drinking outside – tables were laden with big glistening pints of beer, wine bottles in coolers, plates of burgers and chips.
Now, you know me…
I’m a man of big appetites who LOVES his food and drink.
But here lies the problem…
Despite nudging 60 years old, I’m still that little kid who wants to eat all the sweets ALL THE TIME.
However, these days I can’t quite get away with it.
I have to consider my heart, kidney and liver health, which means that when younger people fill the streets with food and booze in the warm weather, I can’t just give in to temptation.
Not only that, I have quite a few friends who have gone tee-total in recent years.
Some because of health issues… others because they can’t handle the hangovers and tiredness any more… and a few who realised that alcohol had begun to control their lives.
So these days I am quite familiar with the many non-alcoholic alternatives out there, from Guiness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0 to Lucky Saint and Big Drop.
A lot of this stuff tastes pretty good! Sometimes I need to double-check the label to make sure it really is booze-free.
This wasn’t always the case…
The non-alcoholic beer I remember from the ’80s and ‘90s tasted like what I imagine urine might be like if, God forbid, I were ever forced to test the theory!
Even the wines are improving…
Okay, they’re not quite as convincing as the beers (yet), but when paired with food, some do a decent job of scratching that wine itch.
And they certainly beat guzzling three pints of orange juice at a BBQ, or being stuck with yet another round of Coke in the pub.
But are these alcohol-free drinks good or bad for your health?
Let’s take a look…
Booze-Free Beer Vs The Real Stuff
Most 0.5% or 0.0% beers (like Heineken 0.0, Lucky Saint, or Guinness Zero) have fewer calories than their alcoholic counterparts.
And of course, your liver gets the benefits of a break, too.
These beers can still contain polyphenols, the plant compounds that reduce inflammation and help your blood vessels stay strong. Plus, they hydrate you properly.
Some studies in Germany and Spain have shown that non-alcoholic beer is as hydrating as water – and even contains natural electrolytes.
There’s a “BUT” coming, though.
A lot of non-alcoholic beers contain added sugars or sweeteners to enhance the taste. So always check the label – especially if you’re drinking them more often, or having a session where you drink three or four.
Interestingly, I drank one a few weeks ago called Collider, which contained Lions Mane mushrooms, L-theanine and mood-boosting botanicals.
I genuinely felt a gentle buzz after drinking it, too, and that same sense of wellbeing you get after drinking a pint or a glass of wine.
Okay, so the news is pretty good for the non-alcoholic beer drinkers (in moderation!)
But what about wine?
Real Wine Vs Fake Wine
Red wine is rich in polyphenols, like resveratrol, which are linked to good heart health. It may help raise HDL cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity.
But those benefits only seem to occur with real wine – not the de-alcoholised version.
• A Finnish study in 2007 found that real wine improved coronary blood flow in men, while the non-alcoholic version didn’t.
• An Australian trial showed that red wine raised HDL and reduced LDL. Again – fake wine didn’t move the needle.
• A German paper in 2009 linked red wine to a lower diabetes risk – but again, the non-alcoholic kind didn’t have the same effect.
Down in Spain, Professor Ramón Estruch has been studying links between wine and health for over two decades. Now he has turned his attention to the new breed of non-alcoholic wines.
In one recent clinical trial, both real and alcohol-free wines helped equally with blood sugar control. However, the fake wines caused a bigger rise in harmful lipoproteins, which are linked to artery clogging.
It turns out that the alcohol may be a crucial factor in red wine because it helps with polyphenol absorption and may have its own positive metabolic effects.
Studies have also shown that real wine is better for your microbiome, encouraging good bacteria to flourish.
And the reason for this might be the process by which this type of wine is made. Removing alcohol from wine involves industrial-level processing, including reverse osmosis, vacuum distillation and spinning….
Eventually, it’s reduced to nothing more than a gloopy syrup. Then they add water, grape concentrate, sweeteners, gum arabic, deacidifiers and flavour stabilisers.
As a result, your zero-alcohol wine is a highly ultra-processed drink (UPF), which may be why it’s not great for gut bacteria.
So when it comes to wine, be careful of swapping out the real version for the non-alcohol version. Saying that, if the occasional glass of booze-free wine makes you happier to enjoy a meal out, or spend quality time in a pub, with friends, then it has huge psychological and social benefits.
When it comes down to it, measuring the true effects of a drink or food item is not always about reducing it to its chemical components!
It’s also about how it facilitates wellbeing and happiness.
Yours as ever
Ray Collins
