Before getting into the topic of whether or not NA beer is healthy, it’s important to takes a few steps back. Let’s decide what we even mean when we say “healthy”. One reason the non-alcoholic industry is booming right now is that many people are more health conscious than they were years ago. The COVID pandemic did some funny things to us as individuals, but it did even funnier things to our culture. There’s probably some confusion about how health is even defined.
A lot of people are realizing that during the “shutdown days” of 2020 they developed habits. Maybe those habits weren’t a problem at first, but they became a problem. One common example is excessive drinking. While in shutdown mode it was easy to make the decision to drink more, and sometimes even daily. Then after months of that behavior, many looked back and wondered how they developed such a nasty habit.
Habits are funny that way. We tend not to see them forming until they’ve started to cause trouble for us.
The Seven Areas Of Wellness
I got my degree in Health Science from SUNY Brockport. One of the primary tenets we were taught in that program was the seven areas of human wellness. For a person to be healthy, it was deemed that they were healthy in these seven areas:
- Environmental: This area is based on our ability to care for the environment and our world around us
- Social: This one is measured by our ability to maintain relationships and be part of a community
- Emotional: This area deals with our ability to manage our emotions
- Physical: This one is regarding our own body’s physiological health and functionality
- Intellectual: This is all about keeping our intelligence in shape by seeking mental stimulation
- Spiritual: While it may seem related to religion, this area of wellness can also be about a connection to something greater than ourselves
- Occupational: This area works with how fulfilling our careers and financial stability are maintained
Generally, it’s believed that a person who is healthy will find balance in all these areas. While some of us may be more focused on some areas than others, it’s believed that all these areas are imperative to leading a healthy lifestyle.
When it comes to drinking alcohol excessively, it would be very easy to see how any one of these areas could be out of balance. Occupational health could be impacted if someone isn’t able to keep a job because of problematic drinking. If we’re drunk, it’s not likely that we’re stimulating our brains to grow. Some may feel shame about their drinking so maybe they avoid friendships. With that type of lifestyle the social area would be negatively impacted.
There are a ton of ways alcohol can be unhealthy for us.
Counting Calories In Beer
In most cases, when someone is asking if NA beer is healthy, they’re probably referring to physical wellness. They likely want to know if the calorie count in an NA beer is lower than in a traditional beer.
First let’s determine how many calories are in a traditional beer. Because each type of beer can be different due to ingredients and brewing methods, you can’t really say “ales are healthier than stouts”. Generally speaking, you’ll find that beers with a higher ABV% are the ones with a higher calorie count. Usually, that’s an IPA as they have higher ABV% than other styles. To get a rough calculation for a beer’s calorie count, you can use this formula: ABV% x factor 2.5 x ounces of beer = Calorie count
Let’s do a quick can to can comparison where no math is involved.
The Dos Equis Lime and Salt has an ABV of 4.2%. A 12 oz can is 135 calories with 12 grams of carbohydrates. I chose this one to compare because the Dos Equis Lime and Salt ZERO is one of my new favorites! The non-alc version of the same beer has an ABV of <.5% and weighs in at just 73 calories and 18 grams of carbohydrates.
Check that again!
It’s lower in calories, but higher in carbohydrates.
In this case, if we’re talking about physical health, and whether or not NA beer is healthier than traditional beer, it does happen to have fewer calories overall. But, if someone is looking to cut their carbohydrate intake, the NA beer (in this example) might not be the preferred choice.
How Beer Selection Is Important
The problem with healthy choices is that if you only ate the things that are healthiest, you’d probably get bored. Bodybuilders are consistent in the gym, but they’re also consistent in the kitchen! No one wants to eat a low-fat diet all day long everyday for life.
So, if you’re looking to cut calories in your beer drinking regimen, mixing in lower ABV styles will help immensely. Grabbing an NA/near beer from time to time is a great way to cut down on the calories you’re taking in from beer. That being said, remember that they do have calories, and drinking too much of anything can be unhealthy.
If you’re drinking six of those Dos Equis Lime and Salt ZERO’s in one evening, that’s still 438 calories and 108 carbs. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that carbohydrates should make up 45% to 65% of your total daily calories. If you eat 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates. That translates to between 225 and 325 grams of carbs a day.
If you drank six of those Dos Equis Lime and Salt ZERO’s in one day, you’re already at half your carb intake.
So, Is NA Beer Healthy?
Remember that simply counting calories isn’t the only way to consider if something is “healthier”. Lowering your calories can help improve your physical wellness if you’re caloric intake is already excessive. But if alcohol is causing trouble in other areas of your life, cutting back on it or cutting it out altogether could mean those areas are ones you’ll improve in.
If you’re looking to find some new nonalcoholic beer to try, here’s a list to get you started!
