But can this creamy, rich and stuffed beer really be added to a list of healthy drinks? Or is your reputation just good marketing? We researched the history of beer and talked to beer experts and discovered what is good, what is not so good and the ingenuity of Guinness.
The original Guinness is a type of beer known as a stout. It is made from a grain (grain) that includes a large amount of roasted barley, which gives it an intense burnt flavor and a very dark color. And while you don’t classify it as healthy as a vegetable, stouts in general, like other beers, can be justified in at least some of your nutritional bragging rights.
According to Charlie Bamforth, professor of beer science at the University of California, Davis, most beers contain significant amounts of antioxidants, B vitamins, mineral silicon (which can help protect against osteoporosis), soluble fiber and prebiotics, that promote the growth of “good” bacteria in your gut.
And Guinness may have a slight advantage compared to other beers, even over other stouts.
“We showed that Guinness contained the largest amount of folate from the imported beers that we analyzed,” said Bamforth. Folate is a vitamin B that our bodies need to produce DNA and other genetic materials; it is also necessary for the cells to divide. According to his research, stouts contain an average of 12.8 micrograms of folate, or 3.2% of the recommended daily dose.
Since Guinness contains a lot of unmalted barley, which contains more fiber than malted grains, it is also one of the beers with the highest fiber levels, according to Bamforth. (Note: although the USDA lists beer as containing zero grams of fiber, Bamforth said his research shows the opposite.)
Bamforth researched and co-authored studies published in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing and the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, The Science of Beer.
Here is more potentially good news about Guinness: despite its rich flavor and creamy consistency, it is not the most caloric compared to other beers. A 12-ounce serving of Guinness Draft has 125 calories. In comparison, a similarly sized portion of Budweiser has 145 calories, a Heineken has 142 calories and a Samuel Adams Cream Stout has 189 calories. In the United States, Guinness Extra Stout, in fact, has 149 calories.
This makes sense when you consider that alcohol is the main source of calories in beers. Guinness Draft has a lower alcohol content, with 4.2% alcohol by volume (ABV), compared to 5% for Budweiser and Heineken, and 4.9% for Samuel Adams Cream Stout.
The not so great
Guinness is still alcohol and consuming too much can impair judgment and contribute to weight gain. Heavy drinking (considered more than 15 drinks per week for men or more than eight drinks per week for women) and excessive alcohol consumption (five or more drinks for men and four or more for women, in a period of about two hours) they are also associated with many health problems, including liver disease, pancreatitis and hypertension.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, “alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States: 17.6 million people, or one in 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million others who practice patterns of excessive alcohol consumption that can lead to problems with alcohol. ”
Many decades ago in Ireland, it would not be uncommon for a doctor to advise pregnant and breastfeeding women to drink Guinness. But today, experts (mainly in the United States) warn of the dangers associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
“Alcohol is a teratogen, which is something that causes birth defects. It can cause damage to the fetal brain and other organ systems,” said Dr. Erin Tracy, an obstetrician / gynecologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of obstetrics at Harvard Medical School, gynecology and reproductive gynecology. “We don’t know of any safe doses of alcohol during pregnancy, so we recommend total abstention during this brief period of time in a woman’s life.”
How about beer to breastfeed? “In Britain, there is a culture that drinking Guinness is good for nursing mothers,” said Karl Siebert, professor emeritus in the food science department and former director of Cornell University’s beer program.
According to Domhnall Marnell, the Guinness ambassador, Guinness Original (also known as Guinness Extra Stout, depending on where it was sold) debuted in 1821 and for a time it contained live yeast, which had a high iron content, so it was administered to anemic individuals or mothers who were breastfeeding then, before the effects of alcohol were fully understood.
Some studies have shown evidence that beer ingredients can increase prolactin, a hormone needed for milk production; others have shown the opposite. Regardless of the conclusions, alcohol in beer also appears to counter the benefits associated with increased prolactin secretion.
“The problem is that alcohol temporarily inhibits the milk ejection reflex and the overall milk supply, especially when ingested in large quantities, and chronic alcohol use permanently reduces the milk supply,” said Diana West, co-author. of the “Guide to producing more milk for breastfeeding mothers”. “
“Barley can be eaten directly, or even made with commercial barley drinks, which would be less of a problem than drinking beer,” said West.
If you are still not convinced that beer is harmful to breastfeeding, consider the following: a breastfeeding mother, drinking any type of alcohol, puts her baby in potential danger. “The fetal brain is still developing after birth – and as alcohol passes into breast milk, the baby is still at risk,” said Tracy.
“This is something we would not defend today,” agreed Marnell. “We would not recommend anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding to take advantage of our products during this period of their life.”
On the old ladies’ tale of the effects of beer on breastfeeding, Marnell added: “It is not something that Guinness has perpetuated … and if (people are still saying), I would like to say once and for all, it is not something we support or recommend. “
Ingenuity
Assuming you are healthy and have the green light to drink beer, you may wonder why Guinness feels like it has eaten a meal, despite its low calorie and alcohol content.
It has to do with the sophistication needed to produce and spill Guinness. According to Bamforth, for more than half a century, Guinness has put nitrogen gas in its beer in the packaging phase, which produces smaller, more stable bubbles and provides a more appetizing mouthfeel. It also spices up the severe burnt character that comes from roasted barley. Guinness cans, containing a spill control widget, also contain some nitrogen.
Guinness is also dispensed through a special tap that uses a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. “In Ireland, Guinness has a long history of hiring the best and brightest university graduates, regardless of what they were trained in,” said Siebert. “And they put them to work on the things they needed. One was a special tap to dispense Guinness, which has 11 different spouts, which help to form the foam of fine bubbles.”
The foam is extremely durable. “Once you get a freshly served Guinness, you can grimace in the foam and when you finish drinking it, the face will still be there,” said Siebert.
‘It’s a good day for a Guinness,’ unless you’re pregnant
Guinness’ famous advertising slogans – including “It’s a good day for a Guinness” – started by word of mouth, Marnell said. “In 1929, when we were about to make our first announcement, we asked ourselves, ‘What action should we take?’ So we sent a group of marketers (in Ireland and the UK) to ask Guinness drinkers why they chose Guinness, and nine out of ten said they believed beer was healthy for them. We already had that reputation in bars before we said a word about beer.
“This led to the Gilroy ads that were posted,” explained Marnell, referring to the artist John Gilroy, responsible for the Guinness ads from 1928 to 1960. “You will see the characters that represent the Guinness brand – the toucan, the pelican – and slogans like ‘Guinness is good for you’ or ‘Guinness for Strength’. But these were from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. “
Today, he said, the company would not claim any health benefits for its beer. “If anyone has the impression that drinking Guinness has health benefits, then, unfortunately, I am the bearer of bad news. Guinness is not going to build muscle or cure you of the flu.”
“One of the main things we focus on … is that while we love that people enjoy our beer, we want to make sure they do it in the most responsible way possible,” said Marnell. “We would never recommend someone to drink to excess and (we want to make people aware) how alcohol affects the body.”
And again: most health care professionals in the United States would advise you to waive all alcohol if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have other health or medical problems where alcohol consumption is not recommended.
So, responsibly celebrate St. Patrick this year a little wiser about the health benefits and risks with one of his signature pots.
This story was originally published in 2017.
Lisa Drayer is a nutritionist, author and contributor to health and nutrition at CNN.