The amount of B6 does not meet the criteria to be highlighted on the bottle label as a source of vitamins, but it remains a measurable presence.
Drinking an occasional glass of beer can provide “substantial amounts” of a vitamin essential for good brain function, according to recent research in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
A vitamin B6 It is beneficial for the brain, blood and immune system and is present in a wide variety of foods.
Depending on the type of beer, a 500 ml glass can supply around 15% of daily vitamin B6 needs, according to researchers from the University of Munich, Germany, responsible for the study. Even a non-alcoholic lager beer — the most common type, fermented at low temperatures — can have the same effect.
Many of the ingredients used in beer production, such as barley, wheat and yeast, contain vitamin B6 and, according to the study, the fermentation process does not completely eliminate this nutrient.
Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient obtained through meat and fishbut the vitamin is also present in other foods, such as oats, potatoes and chickpeas. Many cereals breakfast foods are also enriched with B6.
Vitamin B6 deficiency is rare, although levels can sometimes be low, often associated with a lack of other B vitaminssuch as B12, which can cause symptoms such as tiredness and nausea.
The study analyzed 65 types of beer sold in local supermarkets in Germany and found differences in the vitamin B6 content between them.
As bock beers — fuller-bodied and generally more alcoholic — had the highest vitamin B6 contentfollowed by lagers, the most common, dark versions and wheat beers. At the opposite extreme, beers made with rice had the lowest vitamin B6 content (Super Bock lovers, make no mistake: Super Bock is not, technically, a bock, but rather, according to the brand’s own description, a classic lager).
Among the non-alcoholic versions, those that undergo complete fermentation and then have the alcohol removed concentrate more vitamin B6 than those produced with yeast that already generate little alcohol.
According to researchers, an average lager can provide around 20% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B6. One of the non-alcoholic lagers tested provided almost 59%.
According to the NHS, the UK’s public health system, men need around 1.4 mg of vitamin B6 per day, and women need 1.2 mg. The study suggests that 1 liter of beer may contain between 0.3 mg and 1 mg of the vitamin.
If consumption falls within the recommended alcohol intake limits, the amount does not meet the criteria to be highlighted on the bottle label as a source of vitamins, but it remains a measurable presence, says Michael Rychlik, one of the study’s authors. According to Rychlik, the results are useful “only for consumers who want to optimize their vitamin intake.”
Bridget Benelam, from the British Nutrition Foundation, says low levels of vitamin B6 are rare because the vitamin is present in many foods.
“We don’t recommend that beer or any alcoholic beverage be seen as a main source of nutrients. This should come from food,” he says. “Unless a person follows a very restricted diet, it is unlikely that they are not consuming enough vitamin B6.”
According to Benelam, people with other health problems, such as alcoholism or chronic kidney disease, may face difficulties in this regard. The expert recommends paying attention to other important B vitamins, such as B12 and riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2generally found in dairy products and foods of animal origin.
“They play a role in metabolism and energy release,” he explains. The expert advises vegan people to choose fortified milk and yogurt substitutes to increase their intake of these vitamins.
The harm of alcohol
The World Health Organization (WHO), however, considers that alcohol consumption is harmful to health.
According to a report released by the organization about two years ago, alcohol consumption contributed to 2.6 million deaths worldwide in 2019. Of these, it is estimated that 1.6 million deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases, including 474 thousand deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 401 thousand from cancer. Around 724,000 deaths were due to injuries, such as road accidents, self-harm and violence. Another 284,000 deaths were related to communicable diseases — for example, it has been shown that alcohol consumption increases the risk of HIV transmission through unprotected sex and also the risk of tuberculosis infection, by suppressing some immune system reactions.
Alcohol also causes at least seven types of cancerincluding bowel and breast cancer.
An analysis by the WHO concluded that even light and moderate alcohol consumption — defined as less than 1.5 liters of wine, less than 3.5 liters of beer or less than 450 milliliters of spirits per week — is dangerous.
According to the WHO, there is no safe amount and the “risk to the health of those who drink begins with the first drop of any alcoholic beverage”. Experts also warn of the neurotoxic effect of alcohol consumption.
Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies show that three neural networks are particularly vulnerable: the frontocerebellar network, which controls balance; frontolimbic, involved in memory, motivation and self-awareness; and the frontostriatum, responsible for emotional regulation, inhibition, cognitive flexibility and reward management.
