Is beer a high-sugar beverage? What about homemade fruit wine?

When the weather is hot, many people like to drink beer with meals, and they drink a large bottle at a time, but few people connect beer with blood sugar.

How high is the glycemic index (GI) of beer? Will it affect daily blood sugar fluctuations?

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition by researchers at the University of Sydney found that some beers have very high glycemic indexes. For example, pilsner beer has a glycemic index of 89, which is higher than white rice, white steamed buns, white bread, and white sugar[1].

This result is not surprising. Because the carbohydrates in beer are mainly maltose, and the glycemic index of maltose is at the same level as glucose. It is a liquid food that does not require chewing and has a very high digestion and absorption rate. It is natural that blood sugar rises quickly.

Dietary surveys in many countries have found that the daily intake of beer is very high. For example, in the Netherlands, the contribution of beer to the glycemic load (GL) of the daily diet cannot be ignored, causing an average change of 9.6% and 5.3% in GI and GL respectively.

Some friends may ask: Is beer the alcohol with the highest blood sugar response among all alcohols? What about other alcohols?

A 2014 study published in the journal Food Chemistry compared the blood sugar and insulin responses of different alcoholic beverages.

The 10 male and 10 female subjects drank 4 types of alcohol in an amount equivalent to 0.5 grams of alcohol per kilogram of body weight. In other words, based on the same body weight, everyone consumed the same amount of alcohol from each type of alcohol.

The results showed that among the four types of alcohol, namely Pilsner, Cabernet Sauvignon, Scotch whisky and Brazilian cachaça, beer had the smallest effect on increasing plasma alcohol content, but its blood sugar and insulin responses were the highest.[2] This is because the carbohydrate content of beer is significantly higher than that of the other three types of alcohol.

▲ The left side of the picture shows the results of male subjects, and the right side shows the results of female subjects

Although the carbohydrate content in beer itself does not sound high, only 4-5 g/100 ml, which is lower than most sweet drinks, the amount of it consumed is often large.

For example, if you drink 1000 ml of beer, it is equivalent to consuming 40-50 grams of carbohydrates. Eating half a bowl of rice (rice cooked with one or two grains of rice) only has 37.5 grams of carbohydrates. Besides, the glycemic index of beer is only higher than that of rice...

Therefore, drinking a beer is equivalent to eating half a bowl of white rice from the perspective of carbon water intake. From the perspective of raising blood sugar, the effect is even greater than eating half a bowl of white rice.

I looked at the supermarket and found that the concentration of malt juice in beer ranges from 10% to 18%. The thicker the malt juice, the more brown substances are produced by the Maillard reaction of sugar and amino acids during the roasting or fermentation process, and the stronger the flavor. However, in terms of calories, light beer is relatively low, and strong beer is often slightly higher.

In short, if you want to control blood sugar or prevent obesity, you should strictly control the amount of beer you drink. Just drink one glass, don't drink it uncontrollably... After all, the saying "liquid bread" is true.

Then, beer also contains alcohol. The alcohol content of beer products I saw in the supermarket ranged from 3.5% to 6.5%. Assuming 4%, 1000 ml of beer contains 40 grams of alcohol, which is far more than the limit of "25 grams per day for men and 15 grams per day for women" recommended by the dietary guidelines. Alcohol itself contains calories. 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 kilocalories. Don't forget this.

In addition, people with abnormal uric acid levels should also consider the issue of controlling blood uric acid when drinking beer. Beer itself contains purine, and alcohol increases the production of endogenous purine, so beer is very unfavorable for controlling uric acid levels.

Someone asked: I always drink ice-cold beer, so will the calories be reduced a lot?

There is a difference in calories between ice and cold, but not much. The best drinking temperature for beer is 10-12 degrees Celsius. If 100 grams of beer is raised from 10 degrees Celsius to room temperature 25 degrees Celsius, that is, an increase of 15 degrees Celsius, it consumes about 1,500 calories, or 1.5 kilocalories. Please note that food nutrition is calculated in kilocalories, while temperature changes are calculated in calories, and the unit difference is 1,000 times.

1 gram of sugar has 4 kcal of calories. It takes 15 kcal to warm 1000 grams of beer to room temperature, which can only reduce the calories of less than 4 grams of sugar...

Let's think about this: if freezing food can eliminate the calories, then there would be no risk of gaining weight by eating ice cream...but they are all real high-calorie foods.

Someone else asked: I like to eat beer duck. One duck requires 300 to 500 grams of beer. Will it also cause blood sugar to rise?

Don't worry too much about using beer for cooking. Alcohol will evaporate during cooking, and the sugar will remain to increase the deliciousness of the dishes, promote the Maillard reaction, and increase the aroma. The most important thing is that even if you pour 500 grams of beer (containing about 20-25 grams of sugar) to stew a duck, it is impossible for one person to finish it in one meal, but the whole family will eat it together. In fact, the amount of sugar from beer consumed by one person in one meal is still relatively small, and will not exceed the daily limit of added sugar. Besides, the extent to which a meal raises blood sugar depends more on how much staple food is eaten, rather than the cooking wine or beer put in the stewed duck.

Then, more people raised a number of important questions: I don't drink beer, can I drink white wine? Can I drink sweet rice wine? Can I drink fruit wine that I brew myself?

It must be pointed out first that drinking too much is not conducive to blood sugar control, and any alcoholic beverage tends to have this effect.

Korean scholars published a related study. They investigated the alcohol intake of respondents in the large epidemiological study KSHS, followed up the data collected between 2002 and 2015, and analyzed the relationship between the drinking status and blood sugar status of 55,720 men. These people had normal blood sugar status in 2002 and did not suffer from diabetes.

The researchers divided these people into four groups according to their alcohol intake: no alcohol, light alcohol (0.1-9.9 g alcohol per day), moderate alcohol (10.0-29.9 g alcohol per day), and heavy alcohol (≥30.0 ​​g alcohol per day). Their blood glucose homeostasis indicators, including fasting blood glucose level (FSG), homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and pancreatic β-cell function (HOMA-β), were correlated with alcohol intake status.

The results of the analysis showed that compared with non-drinkers and those who drank a small amount, the group with a higher alcohol intake had higher blood sugar levels and worse pancreatic islet cell function. Those who switched from drinking a small amount to drinking a large amount had a significant deterioration in their blood sugar status, while those who switched from drinking a large amount to drinking a small amount had an increase in insulin sensitivity and an improvement in their blood sugar status.

In fact, previous studies have also revealed relevant information: although other alcoholic beverages such as wine and whiskey contain very little sugar and do not significantly increase blood sugar, they will significantly increase insulin after 3 hours [2]. Even if blood sugar levels are normal, long-term abnormal increases in insulin will reduce insulin sensitivity.

Liquor is a distilled liquor, which contains almost no sugar. But it has a high alcohol content. Although alcohol does not directly increase blood sugar, and even excessive drinking may cause hypoglycemia in diabetics (which may also be fatal). However, alcohol is a carcinogen, which increases the risk of many cancers, reduces the body's ability to detoxify many toxins, and reduces the body's ability to absorb, store and metabolize nutrients. Please be aware...

Unfortunately I have not seen any literature on the relationship between sweet wines and blood sugar, but it seems that they are no better for blood sugar than those without sugar.

There are more and more varieties of sweet wine on the market. For example, the sugar content of Japanese sweet wine can reach more than 10%, which is not inferior to various sweet drinks. With more than 10% sugar and more than 10% alcohol, think about it, is it worth drinking more?

Here we must emphasize: Don't make your own fruit wine at home, it is really unsafe! Methanol and other fusel alcohols are very risky.

To find out how toxic methanol is, just search it online.

Some people may say, I brew it myself and add fruits, sugar and other things, so how could there be methanol?

This is because fruits contain pectin, and part of the pectin is naturally methylated (that is, the natural acylation product of methanol and polygalacturonic acid, and the degree of methylation varies greatly depending on the raw materials). During the winemaking process, under the action of microorganisms, the methanol that originally existed in the acylated form in the pectin structure will escape and enter the fermentation liquid.

To put it simply, fruits naturally contain pectin, and pectin naturally contains the raw materials for making methanol. During the brewing process, methanol will automatically run into the wine... This matter is beyond human control.

If it is a large-scale brewing company, they will use various technical measures to control the production of methanol. This is impossible for home brewing.

In comparison, it is slightly safer to soak fruits directly in qualified liquor and add some juice. As long as the alcohol concentration is sufficient to inhibit microbial activity, at least methanol will not be produced due to the fermentation of juice. Many fruit wines are made in this way.

Many products from small workshops do not have the support of reliable professionals and rely solely on "traditional craftsmanship" and "home brewing", which cannot guarantee safety.

The reason why I like to drink homemade fruit wine, or "homemade enzyme", is simply because I like the mixed flavor of being a bit sweet (a lot of sugar is added), a bit sour (fermented by acid-producing bacteria), and a bit alcoholic (fermented by yeast).

It's understandable that you like this taste, but please don't like it in the name of health.

Sugar is unhealthy, alcohol (ethanol) is unhealthy, and methanol and other fusel alcohols are even more unhealthy.

If you must drink it, it is recommended not to exceed half a cup a day. Do not drink it casually like a beverage, it is too dangerous! Headaches and dizziness are mild. Excessive intake of methanol can cause liver damage, permanent blindness, and even death in severe cases.

Of course, this does not mean that everyone should never drink alcoholic beverages, but rather limit the amount and reduce the frequency. Many people do not have a concept of quantity in their minds. When they are told that drinking or eating too much of something may have adverse effects, they immediately say "another thing that cannot be eaten", or "if I can't eat/drink this, what's the point of living?" Alcohol is supposed to be a drink that is enjoyed occasionally, during festivals and when friends and family get together, it's okay to drink it occasionally, as long as the amount is not large. For example, a healthy person does not have to worry about eating fermented glutinous rice once or twice a week, or drinking two or three glasses of beer a week. Patients with diseases must follow the doctor's advice.

People who don't drink alcohol should never develop a habit of drinking every day for reasons such as "fashion", "health" or "beauty". If you only drink occasionally or as a condiment, and your average daily alcohol intake is only one or two grams, or two or three grams, then you don't have to worry. Such a low alcohol intake has not been found to cause substantial harm.

References:

1 Sluik D, Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, et al. Contributors to dietary glycaemic index and glycaemic load in the Netherlands: the role of beer. British Journal of Nutrition, 2016, 115(7): 1218-1225

2 Nogueira LC, Couri S, Trugo NF, et al. The effect of different alcoholic beverages on blood alcohol levels, plasma insulin and plasma glucose in humans. Food Chemistry, 2014, 158(11):527-533

3 Seulggie Choi, Gyeongsil Lee, Jiyoung Kang et al. Association of change in alcohol consumption on fasting serum glucose, insulin resistance, and beta cell function among Korean men. Alcohol, 2020, 85(6):127-133