Plenty of people love to drink beer. From hop heavy IPA’s, to malty lagers— it seems that a cold beer can help you get through the hottest of days. But, when you think about potential health effects, what comes to mind? Plenty of people, and beer companies, boast the health benefits associated with a good brew. But what about the negative health effects? As with anything in life, we take the good with the bad. However, it’s vital that we’re aware of what we’re putting into our bodies. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of beer effects on health to keep you informed. As always, moderation is key to staying healthy, and also having fun…
Beer Effects: Hops and Healthy Bodies
The Beer Belly
The infamous beer belly is one of the most common beer effects you’ll hear about and see. After drinking beer for some time, you may begin to gain weight in the lower region of your stomach. When you drink beer regularly, it induces low blood sugar in your blood stream. In addition, it fills your body up with empty calories. Both of these factors can eventually cause weight gain to that area of your abdomen.
Heartburn and Reflux
Heartburn and reflux can also become not-so-fun beer drinking side effects. Studies show that drinking beer regularly can lead to more symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux. So, in order to avoid those painful side effects, you should limit the amount you drink, and the window of time within which you drink. For instance, try to stick to having only one beer. But even more importantly, be careful to not have a beer too close to bed time. You want to avoid drinking 2-3 hours before lying down for the night.
High Blood Pressure
When you drink beer and become intoxicated, your blood pressure will begin to rise. But when you do so regularly, it can cause your blood pressure to elevate permanently. In addition, weight gain caused by drinking can also increase your blood pressure. So, between drinking and changes in your weight, there is the potential for hypertension. This can be a concern because high blood pressure affects so many other aspects of your health. Some symptoms of this include nervousness, sweating, and a flushed face. In addition, high blood pressure can also lead to heart disease and other serious heart problems. Therefore, this is one of the more serious effects you may face as a result of regular beer drinking.
There’s no denial when it comes to the fact that beer can be tasty, and has some benefits as well. However, moderation is the key to enjoying beer benefits, without the potentially nasty beer effects that come with heavy consumption.
