According to statistics, more than 570 million liters of beer are consumed every day in the world. Good news for lovers of this drink. A new scientific study indicates that drinking a beer a day is good for the intestines.
A study on lager beer
There are many types of beer : brown, white, blond, amber or alcohol-free. However, the researchers chose to focus on blond beers. In this study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they used 22 healthy men between the ages of 23 and 58. They had to drink a beer of 33 centilitres every night for a month.
The scientists analyzed blood and feces samples after this period. They thus observed improvements in participants’ gut health. They explain that drinking the beer helped stimulate bacteria that fight disease and infection.
Better diversity of the microbiota
The intestines are home to thousands of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts and fungi. This set of microorganisms constitutes the intestinal microbiota. This is a key player in health. It has several functions such as participating in the synthesis of certain vitamins, facilitating the assimilation of nutrients and regulating several metabolic pathways.
After the four-week experiment, the researchers found a better diversity of the microbiota among the participants. They explain that this is due to the presence of compounds like polyphenols and other microorganisms in the beer. Finally, they note that ” the effects of beer on modulating gut microbiota are independent of alcohol and may be mediated by beer polyphenols “. Thus, drinking non-alcoholic beer should be equally beneficial.
Note that this new study echoes the research of Eric Claassen of the University of Amsterdam. In 2019, the latter indicated that certain strong beers improved the intestinal microbiota, thanks to the probiotics they contain.