Is Beer Bad For High Cholesterol

Is Beer Bad For Heart Health

Beer generally gets a bad heart-health rap thanks to its calorie and sugar content. This raises your risk of obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, which in turn is a risk factor for high cholesterol. But the story isnt as clear-cut as it first seems, as beer may also confer some heart benefits.

One reason is that the barley, malt and hops used to brew beer contain polyphenols plant compounds that have been linked to lowering cholesterol levels and overall risk of heart disease. Beer is also a reasonable source of vitamin B6, a nutrient that helps dampen the effect of homocysteine, a blood chemical associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

Heavy drinking more than 14 units a week on a regular basis still carries strong health warnings. But there is some evidence suggesting that consuming moderate amounts of alcohol, including beer, may help protect against heart disease.

This protection is normally found in men over 40 and postmenopausal women. But in 2017, researchers from the University of Cambridge and University College London found that moderate drinkers were less likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared with both teetotalers and heavy drinkers. This protection was found in both men and women aged over 30.

Do light beers have any health benefits?

• 2min

How Much And How Often You Drink Matters

Even though beer, liquor, and wine all have different effects on your cholesterol levels, your heart is more affected by the amount and frequency of your drinking than it is by your choice of beverage.

Moderate drinking, which the NIH defines as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, is the amount of alcohol considered to have a protective effect on the heart.

Large studies have shown that moderate drinkers were significantly less likely to have a heart attack when compared with people who didnt drink at all. And men who drank every day had a lower risk compared to those who drank once or twice a week.

Research shows that moderate alcohol consumption can raise your good cholesterol levels by increasing the speeds at which proteins are transported through the body.

Drinking more than what is considered moderate, however, has an opposite effect, because it can raise both cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Will Quitting Alcohol Lower My Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, quitting or cutting back on alcohol can certainly help lower it, and improve your heart health more generally. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control lists cutting back on alcohol as a way to prevent or manage high cholesterol9.

Other ways to lower your cholesterol include getting regular exercise, eating a healthier diet, and quitting smoking. Of course, if youre concerned about your cholesterol levels, we also recommend discussing your habits with your doctor.

If cutting back on alcohol proves challenging, the good news is that there are easier, more flexible options than before. Ria Health offers online support to reduce or quit drinking from an app on your smartphone. We support everyone from heavy to occasional drinkersyou dont need to identify as an alcoholic to join.

Recommended Reading: Does Canned Tuna Have Cholesterol

The Benefits For Your Cholesterol Levels

There are more than 21 antioxidants in ginger that help prevent lipid peroxidation in your arteries.

This process is associated with lowered levels of good cholesterol . Its also a way to fix any cell damage that prevents proper regulation of harmful lipids.

This spice contains an active substance called gingerol. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant to reduce the creation of bad cholesterol in your liver.

Including it in your diet will clear built-up plaque from your artery walls. This helps blood flow more freely and prevents obstructions.

Alcohol Boosts Good Cholesterol

A few studies have found that people who drink alcohol in moderation have lower rates of heart disease, and might even live longer than those who abstain. Alcohol has also been tied to a lower risk of blood clots and decreased levels of inflammation markers.

Many believe that the main benefit of alcohol comes from its ability to raise HDL cholesterol levels .

In particular, red wine might offer the greatest benefit for lowering heart disease risk and death because it contains higher levels of natural plant chemicals — such as resveratrol — that have antioxidant properties and might protect artery walls.

Don’t Miss: Is Canned Tuna Bad For Cholesterol

Which Drinks To Avoid With High Cholesterol

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.

This Is How Drinking Alcohol Affects Your Cholesterol

The habits you develop in your daily life contribute to your health in both positive and negative ways. If youre looking to make some positive lifestyle changes to contribute to your health, start with choosing nutritious foods, getting plenty of exercise, and avoiding smoking. Your alcohol intake matters, too.

In moderate amounts, red wine is commonly linked to healthy cholesterol levels. But drinking more hard liquor, beer, mixed drinks, and excess red wine has a negative impact on your cholesterol levels.

At Westmed Family Healthcare, we want you to understand the connection between alcohol and cholesterol. Heres some information about cholesterol and how drinking affects your heart health.

Also Check: Does Tuna Have Good Or Bad Cholesterol

Iii Sample Research On Alcohol And Cholesterol

See Also

Drinking Alcohol and All-Cause Mortality Risk.

Japan

Researchers made a study using three independent general Japanese populations. The total number of male subjects was 2,289. The number of females was 1,940. Thus, the total number was 4,229. Their mean age was 63.3.

Alcohol consumption was positively associated with HDL but negatively with LDL level.

The researchers conclusion was simple. Alcohol consumption has a causal role in not only increasing HDL cholesterol levels but also decreasing LDL cholesterol levels.1

Postmenopausal Women

Postmenopausal women participated in an eight-week controlled diet experiment. The control group drank no alcohol. One group consumed one drink per day. The third group had two drinks daily. The energy provided by the three diets was the same. After the diet, the researchers tested the HDL and LDL levels. Then they compared the latter groups to those of the control group.

Women who had one drink daily had lower LDL levels. Having two daily drinks did not significantly reduce them further. One daily drink marginally increased HDL. However, two daily drinks greatly raised HDL levels.2

Nonsmokers

Other researchers found better HDL levels among nonsmoking men and women who had at least seven drinks weekly. Then the researchers compared them to nonsmoking abstainers. The participants averaged 32 years of age.

Drinking in moderation has a positive affect while smoking appears to have a negative affect on HDL levels.3

What Causes Elevated Cholesterol

As far as diet, saturated fat is the single most influential factor affecting on cholesterol levels. A diet high in saturated fat has a potent influence on raising low-density lipoprotein, a harmful form of cholesterol.

Lifestyle choices can affect your cholesterol levels by influencing how your body breaks down cholesterol. Smoking for example, is well-known to increase cholesterol and another blood fat called triglyceride. Alcohol intake also influences cholesterol levels.

Also Check: Does Shrimp Have High Cholesterol

Lower Your Cholesterol And Blood Sugar With Ginger Beer

22 November, 2018

Ginger root is a medicinal food known for its nutritional value and health benefits. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, it is one of the most effective and healthy anti-inflammatories out there. You can do all kinds of things with it, but today were going to talk about ginger beer and how it can lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

Gingers distinctive aroma and flavor has also made it an attractive addition to many recipes. However, its just as often used as an alternative treatment for many different kinds of illnesses.

But did you know that it contains active agents that lower your risk of heart disease, muscle pain, and other issues related to inflammation?

Truthfully, the most remarkable thing about ginger is its versatility. After all, its ideal for smoothies, teas, and a wide range of dishes.

Thanks to its versatility, you can also make ginger into a therapeutic, natural beer that can help reduce your cholesterol, blood sugar, and pain.

Do you want to learn how to make it? Keep reading!

Does Whiskey Cause Heart Problems

Heavy drinking, on the other hand, is linked to a number of poor health outcomes, including heart conditions. Excessive alcohol intake can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure or stroke. Excessive drinking can also contribute to cardiomyopathy, a disorder that affects the heart muscle.

Dernière mise à jour : Il y a 11 jours Co-auteurs : 13 Utilisateurs : 4

Also Check: Baked Potato Cholesterol

Alcohol Consumption And Overall Risk For Cardiovascular Disease

It is essential to think of the impact of alcohol consumption on HDL cholesterol level in perspective of every variable that plays a role in heart illness. Although 30 ml of alcohol can improve HDL, it is imperative to keep in mind that exactly the same quantity of alcohol at the same time elevated the triglycerides levels increasing the risk of getting a cardiovascular disease of approximately 5%. Therefore, alcohol may lower heart illness somewhat but can also increase it.

The Effect Of Beer On Cholesterol And Triglycerides

There are not a lot of studies solely looking at how beer can affect your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Most studies look at all types of alcoholic beverages and their effect on cholesterol, triglycerides, and heart health as a whole. Studies have examined the consumption of beer products on lipids in amounts ranging from 60 to 340 mL daily from anywhere between 4 and 6 weeks on average.

It was found that, in some studies, people drinking at least one beer beverage a day saw an increase in HDL cholesterol levels by up to 11 percent. Additionally, LDL levels in some studies were lowered by up to 18 percent, although some other studies did not see a significant decrease in LDL. The manner in which beer affects your lipid levels is not known. In these studies, the type or brand of beer was not usually noted.

One study also showed that one beer daily could reduce oxidation of LDL. However, consumption of three or more beers daily actually promoted LDL oxidation. Studies have shown that oxidized LDL can promote inflammation of the inner lining of blood vessels and contribute to the formation of atherosclerosis leading to the development of cardiovascular disease.

Although there were some positive effects noted from drinking beer and other types of alcohol, there were also some negative effects: elevated triglyceride levels were also noted as consumption of beer increased. Having very high triglyceride levels is another risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease.

Also Check: Do Egg Beaters Have Cholesterol

Manage Your Cholesterol And Blood Sugar With Ginger Beer

Ginger beer is a natural beverage that has become popular all over the world for its powerful pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.

It is made by fermenting ginger, which concentrates this amazing plants many medicinal powers. Ginger beer is commonly used to help fight joint problems. After all, it manages pain, swelling, and fluid retention in your tissues. Its also good for calming muscular tension and other kinds of conditions that can be very painful.

It even contains live-active cultures of friendly bacteria, which regulate your intestinal flora and improve your digestive health.

Plus, regular ginger beer consumption can help eliminate excess cholesterol in your arteries and lower your blood sugar levels.

Read more:

Make The Changes Worth Making

If you have high blood cholesterol, making lifestyle changes is a great first step to lower your risk of heart disease. If those steps dont reduce your risk enough, your doctor may prescribe medications to help.

Remember: Making even modest changes now can help to prevent significant medical issues later. Do all you can to reduce your risk for the serious effects of heart attack and stroke.

Don’t Miss: Is Tuna Fish Good For High Cholesterol

Is Wine A Better Option

Weve all heard the news that a glass of red wine a day may be good for you, but research suggests that other forms of alcohol may also be beneficial.

Red wine has been extensively studied. In moderate amounts its been shown to reduce cancer, heart disease, depression, dementia, and type 2 diabetes. Moderate intake of beer has also been shown to reduce heart disease and stroke risk.

While beer does contain some antioxidants like red wine, the specific ones found in barley and hops are different than those found in wine grapes. Its still unclear if beer antioxidants offer the same benefits that those in red wine do, though preliminary research is promising.

Overall though, its how often and how much you drink not what you drink that really seems to affect your heart.

One large study showed that men who were moderate drinkers were 30 to 35 percent less likely to have a heart attack when compared with people who didnt drink at all.

And men who drank every day had a lower risk compared to those who drank only once or twice a week. This included men who drank wine, spirits, and, of course, beer.

Is Beer Bad For Cholesterol

What about your choice of beverage? When it comes to alcohol and cholesterol, is beer worse than wine?

Ultimately, its the quantity and frequency of drinking that has the biggest impact on your healthincluding your cholesterol. Beer contains both alcohol and carbohydrates, so too much beer will certainly increase the presence of triglycerides in your body and increase your risk of fatty liver.

A few small studies have suggested that drinking beer in moderation is good for your cholesterol levels8. The barley in beer, like the grapes used to make wine, does contain heart-healthy polyphenols. But more research is needed, and once again youre probably better off eating straight whole grains than drinking beer to reduce your cholesterol.

Don’t Miss: Are Baked Potatoes High In Cholesterol

How To Approach Alcohol

Though it sounds complicated, Kunal Karmali, MD, a cardiologist with Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, notes that the advice when it comes to beer, whiskey and other forms of alcohol and their effects on cholesterol can actually be fairly simple.

“If someone already drinks alcohol, then I advise they drink in moderation,” he says. “But if someone is not, I certainly don’t recommend they start. For those who do drink alcohol, discipline needs to play a role in that protective benefit of alcohol consumption. The person needs to already have the discipline to consume alcohol in moderation.”

As for what moderation means, Jocelyn Henning, director of the Stroke Program and Patient Safety at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, says it’s key to keep consumption low to ensure that alcohol is protecting the heart rather than harming it.

“Some studies do show a cardio-protective effect for light-to-moderate drinking,” Henning says. “Women should have no more than one drink per day, and men no more than two drinks a day. Too much alcohol can lead to inflammation in the blood vessels.”

Keep in mind that one drink means 12 ounces for beer, 5 ounces for wine and 1.5 ounces for spirits.

Heredity Can Play A Role

Some people inherit genes from their mother, father or even grandparents that cause them to have too much cholesterol. This is called familial hypercholesterolemia . The severity of FH is related to the duration and degree of LDL cholesterol in the blood. FH is dangerous because it can cause premature atherosclerotic heart disease.

If you have a family history of FH or problems related to high cholesterol, get your levels checked.

Also Check: How Much Cholesterol In Pork Chops

Good Cholesterol Vs Bad Cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterolone considered positive, and the other negative3:

• Low-density lipoprotein : Often referred to as bad cholesterol, LDL is the type that causes dangerous buildup in the arteries. People who consume large amounts of saturated and trans fats are more likely to have high LDL levels.
• High-density lipoprotein : Considered good cholesterol, HDL protects the body by transporting LDL cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver. The liver breaks down this bad cholesterol, and flushes it from the body.

How To Make Homemade Ginger Beer

Although the properties of ginger can be obtained through many different formulas and remedies, this homemade beer is one of the most effective.

You might like:

It doesnt just make it easy to consume ginger, it also concentrates the nutrients, enhancing their properties and benefits for your body.

The ingredients are very cheap. You can find them at any health food store or herbal shop.

Don’t Miss: Is Canned Tuna Good For Cholesterol

Take A Look At Your Lifestyle

You can make lifestyle changes to improve your cholesterol numbers.

Your body naturally produces all the LDL cholesterol it needs. An unhealthy lifestyle makes your body produce more LDL cholesterol than it needs. This is the cause of high LDL cholesterol for most people.

Behaviors that can negatively affect your cholesterol levels include:

• Unhealthy diet
• Smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke
• Being overweight or obese

How to prevent and treat high cholesterol.

Alcohol Benefits Vs Risks

This conflicting information can often make people wonder how to approach alcohol like beer, whiskey and other spirits when it comes to heart health. On one hand, the American Heart Association notes that alcohol abuse has a wide range of potential complications, including obesity, stroke, high blood pressure and other heart health issues. Drinking too much alcohol can also raise your levels of a kind of fat in the blood known as triglycerides.

If you have high levels of the bad type of cholesterol or low levels of the good type, combined with high levels of triglycerides, it can increase the chances of fatty buildup in your arteries, which raises your risk for heart attack and stroke. Beyond the heart, alcohol abuse can also increase your risk for liver disease, breast cancer, accidents, depression and suicide.

On the other hand, drinking a small amount of alcohol each day seems to offer protection for the heart and blood vessels by reducing the damaging effect of free radicals in the body. A small amount of alcohol consumption also seems to boost the production of HDL, which actually helps prevent plaque buildup in the arteries. Whether to drink alcohol can be quite a conundrum, particularly for those who may be more prone to heart problems.

Read Also: Does Egg Beaters Have Yolk