Beer Or Wine: Which Is Healthier?

Beer or wine? It’s been one of the biggest debates among drinkers for thousands of years.

With people arguing their preferences for anything from taste to smell to potency. But just which drink is healthier? 

We all know that drinking is best done in moderation and that drinking too much of either alcohol is unhealthy and harmful.

However, many studies have discovered that both wine and beer can actually be beneficial in small amounts.

So which of the two drinks is the healthier option? Read on, because we’ve got all the answers right here.

In this article, we’ll put these two drinks head to head in order to settle once and for all: is beer or wine healthier?

We’ll take a look at some pros and cons of drinking both alcohols, and figure out which booze is better for your body. So without further ado, let’s put the drinks to the test!

Beer vs Wine: Which Is Healthier?

The first thing you need to understand about alcohol is that it has an effect on your body in different ways.

Drinking too much of any type of alcohol can cause all sorts of health issues, both in the short term and the long run. 

However, moderate consumption of both beer and wine can actually help prevent certain diseases and conditions. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Wine

Wine contains antioxidants that are known to fight cancer and other serious illnesses.

These antioxidants also protect against heart disease and stroke, so if you’re looking to lower your risk of having a heart attack, then why not indulge in the occasional glass of your favorite wine?

The antioxidant content of red wine is higher than that of white wine, but there isn’t really any difference between the types of grapes used in making each kind of wine.

Red wine contains resveratrol, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation and protects cells from damage by free radicals.

Resveratrol is found naturally in foods like berries, peanuts, and grape skins, but it’s most commonly extracted from the skin of red wine grapes.

In fact, the amount of resveratrol in a bottle of red wine is more than what you’d find in a single serving of blueberries or blackberries.

Resveratrol is also believed to help slow down the aging process, although this claim hasn’t been proven yet.

This means that drinking a few glasses of red wine every week could improve your overall health and even potentially increase your lifespan!

Beer

Unlike wine, beer doesn’t have much of a reputation for being particularly healthy.

With that said, however, there are actually a surprising amount of health benefits that you can get from consuming the occasional glass or two of beer. 

For example, beer contains hops, which are antibacterial compounds that help keep your digestive tract clean.

Hops are also thought to lower cholesterol levels and boost metabolism, which makes them great for weight loss.

Another benefit of beer is that it contains fewer calories than wine. A

single glass of red wine typically contains around 80 calories; meanwhile, the same amount of beer will have just over half the number of calories.

Coming in at around 45 calories. Not only that, but beer has far more vitamins and nutrients than wine does. 

Beer is made up of water, malted barley, yeast, hops, and various flavors.

It’s also rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, calcium, and many other vital nutrients that can be beneficial in a moderate serving of beer!

Finally, beer has a lower alcohol content than wine. While a standard glass of wine may contain anywhere from 14-20% ABV (alcohol by volume), a typical pint of beer will usually fall somewhere between 3-5%. 

As such, you’ll be consuming less alcohol by drinking beer than you would with wine.

This means that, even if you consume more beer than wine, you’ll still be at a lower risk of alcohol-related health issues.

Downsides To Drinking Wine And Beer

While both beer and wine contain properties that can actually be beneficial to your health, these only benefit you if you consume them in moderation.

Drinking too much of either alcohol can lead to several different health issues. 

Some of these are shared risks due to the alcohol content of beer and wine, but there are some separate issues that set the two apart.

Here are some of the downsides to drinking wine and beer.

How Alcohol Can Be Harmful

The first thing to know about alcohol consumption is that it can be very dangerous.

If you’re going to drink any type of alcoholic beverage, make sure that you limit yourself to no more than one drink per day.

This is what experts recommend as the limit for alcohol consumption, and going over can cause plenty of health issues. 

These include liver disease, an increased risk of heart failure and strokes, and even an increased likelihood of developing cancer! 

There is also the risk of developing alcoholism, as well as problems caused by ongoing excessive drinking.

Excess alcohol consumption, whether as a result of binge-drinking or overdoing it at a party, can do serious damage to your liver and brain. 

On top of that, drinking more than you should, can lead to hangovers and alcohol poisoning. Finally, excess drinking is linked to mental health issues such as depression and even dementia.

Drinking in moderation is important, and the best way to consume alcohol is to stick to the one unit per day rule.

Issues With Drinking Wine

Wine is generally considered to be a safer alternative to beer when it comes to alcohol consumption.

However, this isn’t always true. In fact, there are quite a few health concerns associated with drinking wine. 

The most common issue is headaches and hangovers; these are caused by the tannins in wine, which are at higher levels than in other alcohols.

Additionally, as wine has a higher alcohol content than beer, it’s easy to consume more alcohol in a short time frame.

This increases the risk of getting drunk, along with the possibility of liver damage and alcohol poisoning.

Issues With Drinking Beer

Beer isn’t safe either, and drinking too much beer is just as harmful as it is with wine. While beer contains many healthy vitamins and nutrients.

It contains far more empty calories that contribute to what we know as ‘the beer gut’.

Because of this, drinking more than a couple of beers will completely negate any positives caused by the healthy parts of beer.

In addition to all of this, beer often contains far more sugar than wine. This means that drinking too much beer can cause you to gain weight.

It also means that you get dehydrated more quickly, which makes it easier to start drinking more than you should.

Final Thoughts

So which is healthier – beer or wine? Honestly, there isn’t any clear answer to which drink is better for you overall.

Both alcohols have their benefits and drawbacks – the most important factor to staying healthy while drinking either of these alcohols is to make sure you’re consuming them in moderation.

Beer and wine can both be good for you as long as you are sensible about the amount you drink.

As long as you don’t drink too much or too often, you can indulge yourself with whichever drink you prefer.

Just remember to stay safe, and you can reap the benefits of beer and wine without having to worry about the possible side effects. Enjoy!

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Andrew Carr

Hi, I’m Andrew Carr and I find beer fascinating. Not just drinking it (although that is a plus!) but everything about it. There is so much to learn - the fermenting process, the best glasses for each type, recipes to make at home… The list goes on!

I have been making my own beer for almost a decade now and I pride myself on my home setup. I’ve made sours, pale IPAs, stouts - you name it, I’ve probably made it in the comfort of my own home.

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