Beer the Safest Alcohol

The nutritional properties of beer stem from the grain, yeast and hops used in beer brewing. Beer contains carbohydrates, B vitamins and potassium. This tasty adult beverage is one of my favorites. 

The super wonderful Megan Schwarz recently shared a video with me about the health benefits of consuming small amounts of Tequila. Having researched alcoholic beverages extensively after learning of ethanol's primary metabolite IARC class 1 carcinogen rating, specifically acetaldehyde, I wanted to write about beer because it is a fermented beverage of about ~90% water and one of the safest and most nutritious of all alcoholic beverages. Remember that beer is still unhealthy to over consume and therefore less is more! I wish I had learned about this earlier in life!

Alcohol Formed During Digestion 

When you consume any foods that are ferment-able, alcohol forms in your gut during digestion. Adults on average produce about 4 grams of ethanol from fermentation in their digestive system every day! This is why ethanol itself is not a carcinogen. Sadly, our liver enzymes turn ethanol into a nasty class one cellular irritant carcinogen called Acetaldehyde which can cause cancer. This is why you might experienc gut wrenching pains if your drink alcoholic beverages and have cancer. If you get really sick after consuming 1 or 2 alcohol drinks, get screened for cancer right away!

Hangover Explained

If you have ever had a hang over, you can blame it on the formation of Acetaldehyde, the presences of Cogeners in the alcoholic beverage and dehydration due to the diuretic effects of ethanol and its metabolites. Your brain is a watery organ that must stay hydrated unless you want a nasty headache. I imagine that many people suffering from migraines also suffer from preventable dehydration and believe their headaches are triggered by allergic responses to foods which they are unaware of.

Tequila

Made from fermented blue agave. The resulting flavor, color, pallet, smell, mouth feel and nutrition properties depend on variables in the fermentation and distillation processes used to manufacture tequila. I have always been a fan of the "Silver" "Blanco/ Plata) varieties because of the clean nature of these spirits that have not absorbed chemicals from wood during barrel aging. I have a background in chemistry, environmental science and keen interest in toxicology and common carcinogens. These interests formed during my quest to understand why cancer younger children are developing cancers that were previously only seen in the elderly. Ethanol and water are extremely effective solvents, enabling alcohol fluids stored in charred wood barrels to extract wood chemicals that are very tasty but horribly unhealthy to consume. Charred foods are similarly unhealthy because they are chocked full of carcinogens, prions, voc's and other nasty toxins formed when the foods are burned. Knowledge about these subjects influences my preference for Silver Tequila over other types. I like Vodka because it is the cleanest of all alcoholic spirits!

Beer Does Not Cause Beer Belly

Too many carbs & not enough movement and high cortisol inducing stress levels typically cause belly fat to form. Body weight is a food & metabolic math problem. Think of beer as liquid bread. Eat less and move more the ultimate diet for people trying to lose weight. What you eat definitively affects your body form, weight, shape, energy levels, mood, overall health, and other dynamics of your well being as a person that are way outside the scope of this posting, but surely worth Thinking About! You have to keep track of beer calories with the other calories in your diet if you are keeping track of calories to help you lose weight! People often overlook calories from beverages like fruit juice, pop, peer, wine etc. Liquids that are high in carbs are easy to overlook since they can be consumed as a fluid like water, no chewing required!

The Value of Thinking

Keep on thinking about it and perhaps you will set yourself free with realizations about the truth! This blog is generally about the pragmatic aspects of the humanities, something meant to provoke thinking! I like technology and the arts and hope that is obvious from the topics I write about! Please share my blog with others if you like what I write! Thanks for reading it!