by Beer drinkers will not be in a good mood when they read this message.
A new study shows that lager lovers tend to have poorer diets, exercise less and smoke more cigarettes than people who drink wine, alcohol or a combination.
Researchers compared the diets of more than 1,900 U.S. alcohol drinkers – 38.9% consumed only beer, 21.8% only wine, 18.2% only alcohol and 21% a combination of different types of alcohol.
None of the groups came close to the 80-point score that is considered adequate nutrition on the 100-point Healthy Eating Index, a U.S. measure of diet quality.
Wine drinkers scored 55 points, alcoholics and combination drinkers scored almost 53 points, and beer drinkers scored the lowest (49).
The researchers found that pure beer drinkers were more likely to be men, young people, smokers and low-income earners. They reported the highest daily calorie intake and the lowest levels of physical activity.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Madeline Novack, senior resident in Tulane School of Medicine’s internal medicine residency program, argued that beer could be a popular choice in places where foods are low in fiber and high in carbohydrates and processed meats.
Wine — especially red wine — is often paired with more balanced meals that include meat, vegetables and dairy, Novack added.
She also suggested that the opposite is true, that dietary habits influence alcohol preferences. For example, fried or salty foods can encourage beer consumption.
Regardless of why someone drinks alcohol, Novack pointed out that alcohol abuse is the most common cause of liver cirrhosis in the United States and that metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is rapidly becoming more common.
“Both types of liver disease often occur at the same time, and lifestyle changes are key to managing and preventing these diseases, starting with understanding the connection between alcohol consumption and poor diet,” Novack said.
She encourages patients to tell their doctor about their drinking habits, including the type of alcohol.
Stephanie Schiff, a registered dietitian at Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital, also suggests that doctors and registered dietitians discuss alcohol consumption with patients.
“While alcohol was once considered healthy, this appears to be gradually becoming less the case – even red wine no longer has the health halo it once did,” said Schiff, who was not involved in the study. “The population would do themselves something good if they drank as little alcohol as possible and ate a healthy, predominantly wholesome diet rich in plants.”
Novack will present her findings on Sunday at a conference of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
There were some limitations to their study, including that participants reported their eating and drinking habits – and these may not have been accurate.
The findings – also published in the journal Nutrients – support a 2006 Danish study that suggested wine drinkers eat healthier than ale fans.
Wine lovers are buying more olives, fruit, vegetables, poultry, cooking oil, low-fat cheese, milk and meat, the study found, while beer drinkers prefer prepared foods, sugar, cold cuts, chips, pork, butter or margarine. Sausages, lamb and soft drinks.
