Beer is high in calories, so don't exceed the limit by drinking one can a day

"It's so hot! Let's have a beer to cool down!" During the hot summer, many people drink beer to quench their thirst, but nutritionists remind us that beer is high in calories. If calculated based on a small can of 330ml regular beer, adult women should not drink more than 1 can a day and men should not drink more than 2 cans a day to avoid fat accumulation. The numbers on the scale are also growing as rapidly as the sales performance of beer companies.

Beer is high in calories. Nutritionist Huang Peiru said that women should limit their beer consumption to one can per day, while men should not drink more than two cans. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

A single can of beer has over 100 calories, and fruit flavors can have up to 200 calories

Huang Peiru, a nutritionist at the Nutrition Department of Miaoli Daqian Hospital, said that beer is classified as an oily food in terms of nutritional classification, and the calories per gram of pure alcohol are 7 kcal. If calculated according to the calorie formula of "volume (ml) x alcohol concentration (%) x 7 kcal", a 330ml can of beer with an alcohol concentration of 4.5% has 103.95 kcal; if the beer volume is the same and the alcohol concentration is 5%, the calories are 115.5 kcal, which is almost close to the 140 calories in half a bowl of rice.

What’s even more frightening is that in order to attract the favor of the female population, beer companies have been continuously launching fruit beers with low alcohol content but sweet taste in recent years. The unique flavor of these fruit beers comes from different proportions of fruit juice and fructose. Although the fructose content is not clearly marked on some bottles, nutritionists estimate that a 330ml can of fruit beer with a 5% juice concentration such as pineapple, mango, grape, etc. on the market has about 130 calories; and some fruit beers with a 9% juice concentration may have as much as 200 calories per can.

Beer is high in calories, so how much is considered excessive?

Beer is cold and refreshing, but it also carries the risk of obesity. How much should you drink a day to have excess calories?

Nutritionist Huang Peiru said that dietary guidelines recommend that normal men should not consume more than 2 alcohol equivalents per day, and women should not consume more than 1. The so-called "alcohol equivalent" is the weight of pure alcohol obtained by "liquid volume x alcohol concentration". Each alcohol equivalent is 15g. Based on this, a can of 330ml beer with an alcohol concentration of 4.5% weighs 14.85 grams, which is close to 1 alcohol equivalent. This means that adult women should not drink more than 1 can of beer a day, and boys should drink less than 2 cans, otherwise they may suffer from obesity.

Cool beer + snacks accelerate fat accumulation

In addition to the high calories in beer, nutritionist Huang Peiru specifically reminds that people like to drink with barbecue and fried side dishes, but these side dishes are generally high in calories. When people have enough alcohol and side dishes but lack high-fiber fruits and vegetables, the stomach and intestines will accelerate the absorption of food oils and sugars, making it easier to accumulate calories and fat.

If a woman drinks a 330ml can of ordinary beer with a plate of dried fish and peanuts, the total calorie intake is about 500 calories. Before she fills her stomach, the calories are already one-third of the 1500 calories needed for a day, which requires jogging at a speed of 8 kilometers per hour for one hour to burn off. In order to avoid obesity and the three high diseases that may be caused later, people should drink beer to cool off in moderation!