Wine vs Beer

Advantages Of Beer Over Wine

Below are some of the main benefits that drinking beer might confer to an already healthy individual:

• Eases anxiety: The hops used to manufacture beer have been found to help with alleviating symptoms of anxiety including insomnia and restlessness.
• Beer is packed with nutritious ingredients that are beneficial to the functioning of an already healthy body.
• Beer containing a high amount of hops has a variety of benefits. The hops can increase bone density and keep at bay common bone problems. Hops can also slow down the onset of obesity.

That said, there are some downsides to drinking beer that you should keep in mind.

• Regular beer packs on the calories and may not be the best choice if you are watching your waistline. However, you may opt for light or low-carb beer and adopt an all-round healthy lifestyle as well.
• High amounts of beer may have negative effects such as dependency and hangover.

Advantages Of Wine Over Beer

Wine performs better than beer on some fronts. Some of these advantages are:

• Lower number of calories: Wine is comparably lower in calories with a standard 5-ounce glass of wine of 5 percent ABV containing 125 calories or 2 grams of carbohydrates. A regular 12-ounce pint of beer contains about 150 calories, which adds up to 10-20 grams of carbohydrates.
• Higher amounts of polyphenols: Wine contains compounds such as resveratrol, flavonoids, and antioxidants, which offer all sorts of health benefits including protecting the skin against the effects of harmful UV rays and even slowing down the signs of aging.

Difficult as it might be to believe, wine does have some downsides. Some include:

• High acidity: Wine has a high acid content and long-term consumption can weaken your teeth’s enamel.
• Inebriation: The body absorbs wine much faster than it does beer. Not only are you likely to become tipsy faster on wine; that bottle of sauvignon blanc or your favorite red wine can potentially cause dehydration and dependency much faster.

Drinking Patterns And Overall Lifestyle May Matter More

Beer and wine have their own advantages and disadvantages. While beer is packed with beneficial nutrients, a pint also contains significantly more calories than a glass of wine.

In addition to this, wine and beer contain antioxidants that can fight off disease-causing free radicals. But the antioxidants in beer are more readily absorbed into the body than those contained in wine.

Studies have found that drinking low to moderate amounts of any alcoholic beverage, whether that is beer or wine, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These findings suggest that drinking patterns i.e. how much alcohol one drinks and not the compounds contained in the alcohol is what really matters when determining the health benefits of the drink.

In other words, it doesn’t matter the kind of compounds contained in beer or wine; your drinking pattern is what will have an impact on your health. Moderate drinkers of either wine or beer have been found to have a lower risk of heart attack compared to non-drinkers. Those who consume any of these drinks moderately but frequently, for example, four times a week are less prone to cardiovascular disease compared to those who drink fewer times in a week.

So, How Much Beer Or Wine Is Healthy?

According to the American Heart Association, keeping your alcohol consumption to 1-2 drinks and 1 drink a day for men and women respectively might help to reduce the risk of a heart attack. In addition to sticking to low to moderate alcohol consumption, adopting a healthy lifestyle is recommended.

Although consuming beer is often associated with the infamous paunch, this is not entirely true. Many beers do have a high number of calories but regularly eating unhealthy food, in addition to consuming a large amount of beer, will make you more prone to obesity. If you want to keep that extra tire off, drink your beer or wine in moderation but more importantly, try to stick to a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

Summary

Which is healthier: beer or wine? Wine does have its own benefits such as a low caloric number but beer takes the mantle where nutritional value is concerned.

The idea that wine is better for your heart and overall health is not entirely true—both beer and wine can confer some health benefits when drank in moderation by an already healthy person.