We’re very keen to read the list of ingredients on the food products we buy, but how often have we thought of doing the same for any of our drinks? Of course we know that aerated drinks are not good for health, but we rarely think of what goes into the making of the other beverages we drink.
During football season, a handful of my friends got together at a local pub to watch a match together. Let me confess, I’m a teetotaller, but my friends love their beer. While most of them debate about making the right choices at the supermarket when it comes to what they eat to be fit and healthy, that doesn’t stretch to what they drink. Too much of anything is not good, and the same goes for beer. Here are some of the ingredients that can be found in your favourite brew:
Malted barley: This is used to create a thicker beer, but requires more sugar and creates a higher alcohol content.
High fructose corn syrup: Mostly used as a cheaper alternative to barley.
Propylene glycol: Used as an anti-freeze, it is metabolized into pyruvic acid by the body and reconverted into energy aiding storage of excess calories as fat.
Fish bladders: They are used as a fining agent to bring yeast cells out of suspension and clarify beer prior to being filtered and bottled.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): This is an amino acid used as a flavour enhancer making the beer taste fresher and better. Along with alcohol, it can overexcite your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage over a period of time.
Caramel colourin: Made from ammonia and/or insect-based dyes; used for pure aesthetic reasons to create that coloured fizz.
Bisphenol A (BPA): This is a component that may leach into your beer from the can it’s packaged in. BPA can mimic the female hormone oestrogen and may affect sperm count and other organ functions in men.
Carrageenan: This linear sulphated polysaccharide that is extracted from red edible seaweeds has been linked to inflammation in the digestive system. It is used for fining and clearing the drink before bottling.
While alcohol certainly has its benefits, it can only be truly beneficial without the unsavoury additives that are invariably part of it. We, as a species, don’t need any help when it comes to overconsumption of unhealthy things. It’s always a good idea to be healthier all around, so keep these things in mind and do drink a little less than you normally would.
Vivek is a certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Specialist. He simplifies nutrition, exercise and weight loss at >www.bewell.in . Find him on Facebook at >www.facebook.com/Bewellconnected.
