Milk beer is refreshing and delicious! Is it a recommended healthy drink?

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered dietitian

Reviewer: Zhang Yu, researcher at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

How many people have tried milk beer? This drink combines the aroma of milk, wine and malt. It is not only sweet and sour, but also has a "flavor". This milk-like and beer-like taste makes many people fall in love with it after just one drink.

While milk beer is very popular, some people have questions about it, "Why is milk beer so delicious? Is it milk or beer?" In this article, we will answer everyone's questions about milk beer.

Why does milk beer have a unique flavor?

Milk beer is a beverage brewed using secondary fermentation technology that contains carbon dioxide, low alcohol content, and certain lactic acid bacteria. The combination of milk aroma and mellow aroma forms the unique aroma of milk beer.

A study tested the flavor substances of common brands of milk beer and identified a total of 58 flavor components, including 11 alcohols, 23 esters, 6 acids, 7 aldehydes and ketones, and 11 other substances. Alcohols have a wine aroma or a fresh plant aroma. The alcohols contained in milk beer are mainly phenylethyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol, which have the aroma of roses, flowers, and honey; butyric acid and acetic acid have a strong milky aroma; esters have fruity and floral aromas; some aldehydes have a sweet almond flavor; and some ketones have a creamy aroma. Under the combined effect of these volatile flavor components, milk beer tastes sweet and full-bodied. [1]

In addition, milk beer is rich in five organic acids: oxalic acid, citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid and lactic acid. Citric acid has the highest content among them. Citric acid and lactic acid are the main aroma substances of milk beer[1], which makes milk beer taste refreshing and mellow in sourness.

This drink that combines the aroma of milk and mellowness is so addictive that it’s easy to get drunk!

Is milk beer considered beer?

From the name, many people think that "milk beer" is a mixture of milk and beer. When thinking of the common dark beer, white beer, pineapple beer, etc., they think that milk beer is also a kind of beer.

In fact, milk beer is not alcohol. my country's alcohol regulations stipulate that alcoholic products refer to alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content (ethanol content) greater than 0.5%, including fermented wine, distilled wine, blended wine, edible alcohol and other drinks containing alcohol. The alcohol content marked on the milk beer labels on the market is below 0.5%. Therefore, from this data, milk beer is neither beer nor an alcoholic beverage.

Figure 1 Copyright image from the gallery, no permission to reprint

Is milk beer a healthy drink?

Since milk beer is not an alcoholic beverage, what is it? Is it a recommended healthy drink?

Milk beer contains certain lactic acid bacteria and other probiotic ingredients. Therefore, many brands will promote their milk beer products under the banner of "healthy drinks" or "good for intestinal health." Although probiotics can promote intestinal health, only living probiotics can survive and colonize in the intestinal environment. Milk beer sold on the market is generally non-live lactic acid bacteria beverages. The probiotic content is not marked on the packaging, and the storage method is also stored at room temperature.

Therefore, there are almost no live bacteria in the milk beer you buy. It is difficult to improve your intestinal health by drinking milk beer!

Figure 2 Copyright image from the gallery, no permission to reprint

In addition, most milk beers have a high sugar content, and the ingredient list often contains added sugars such as white sugar and fructose syrup. For example, the best-selling milk beer of a certain brand shown below has a carbohydrate content of 11.4g per 100g. The specification of a can of milk beer is 300ml. Although the sugar content is not clearly marked, it is roughly estimated to be about 30g of added sugar.

Figure 3. Copyrighted image from the gallery. Reproduction is not authorized.

According to the recommendations of the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, the daily intake of added sugar per person should be controlled within 25g. If you drink a can of milk beer every day, it is obviously excessive. What's more, milk beer is so delicious that many people may drink it can after can...

Excessive intake of added sugar will not only increase the risk of tooth decay, but also increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, gout and other diseases. Therefore, milk beer can only be regarded as an ordinary sweet drink, and you should never drink it as a healthy drink.

In summary, although milk beer tastes good and is not considered alcoholic, it does contain alcohol, so it is not recommended for pregnant women and children. Even for the general population, most milk beers on the market have high sugar and calorie content. Drinking too much may cause obesity and other problems, so don't drink too much!

References:

[1] Liu Siqi, Wang Yuchao, Li Dan, Li Xiaolei, Duan Cuicui. Analysis of flavor components of different milk beers. China Brewing, 2021, 40(11): 173-177.