As summer approaches, the prospect of lounging on the patio with a cold beer can seem tempting. What if we told you that choosing to camp would also help with your gut health? This was demonstrated by a research team from the New University of Lisbon, reports Interesting Engineering.
According to the conclusions of his study, published June 15, 2022 in the ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, lager – meaning a bottom-fermented beer, mostly lager – can participate in bacterial diversity in the gut. This group of microorganisms, also known as microbiota, is a topic that has attracted the attention of the scientific community for a number of years.
The microbiota and the billions of bacteria that make it up might actually protect us from certain diseases, although it’s important to take that statement with a pinch of salt until it’s scientifically established, researcher Christine Durif-Bruckert said in 2018. Some have gone so far as to speak of a possible impact on aging or even mental health, hence the digestive system’s nickname: the second brain.
The virtues of polyphenols
But back to our binouze. In this new June 15 study, 22 men were asked to drink 10 ounces of beer with or without alcohol every day for four weeks. They were also asked not to change their eating habits during this time.
Blood and fecal samples were taken before and after. During the comparison, the scientists noted that the participants exhibited “an increase in gut bacterial diversity.” Levels of alkaline phosphatase, “a marker of gut health,” were also checked. Again there was improvement.
Importantly, the results were similar in the two groups of men regardless of whether they drank beer with or without alcohol. This suggests that the positive effects of the drink on the microbiota are independent of whether it is alcoholic or not. For scientists, this could be linked to polyphenols, molecules with multiple benefits found in many fruits and vegetables.
what about women Although not included in this study, previous work involving people of both sexes had already shown that consuming non-alcoholic beer for 30 days improved microbiota diversity.
But beware: given the dangers of heavy drinking, the research team recommends giving preference to non-alcoholic lagers. That’s good: This market is booming.