Beer or wine, which one is healthier
Red wine has had a good run on this one for years, mostly on the back of the antioxidants in grape skins, and beer has its own fans pointing at the vitamins in it, so I'm going to give you the honest answer, which is a bit less fun than either side would like.
The alcohol is the thing that matters
Beer and wine are both alcoholic drinks, and the alcohol in them is the same alcohol whichever glass it's in. That's what the health effects mostly come down to, so a standard drink of beer and a standard drink of wine land in about the same place. The bigger question is how much of either you're having.
The antioxidant argument
The compound people talk about in red wine is resveratrol, and the amount in a glass is small, a long way short of the amounts used in the studies that get quoted. Red wine is a lovely drink and I'd never talk anybody out of a glass, but I wouldn't pour one for my health.
The vitamins in beer
Beer does carry some B vitamins and a bit of silicon from the grain, and that's true as far as it goes, but you'd get far more of both from ordinary food, so it's a nice fact to know rather than a reason to have another one.
What the Australian guidelines say
The Australian guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council say healthy adults should have no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day, and that applies the same way to beer and to wine. They also say none at all for anyone under 18 and none during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Those numbers are the most useful thing in this whole post.
Where brewing your own actually helps
The real advantage of making your own is control. You decide how strong it is, so if you want a lighter beer for a hot afternoon you can brew one by using less fermentable sugar. The numbers on the kit tin tell you roughly where it'll land. You also know exactly how big the bottle is, which makes counting standard drinks a lot easier than guessing at a pub pour.
Shop related products
- Coopers International Series Canadian Blonde 1.7kg. A light, crisp kit that suits a lighter brew.
- Coopers Original Draught 1.7kg. A clean, easy drinking kit for a first go.
- Coopers Dextrose 1kg. Fermentable sugar, and less of it means a lighter beer.
- Thomas Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale 1.7kg. For when you want a bit more flavour in the glass.
Did you know we also keep a hydrometer with test jar in the shop, which is how you work out the strength of what you've brewed, along with the AMPI 30 litre fermenter. They're not on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf.
- How much sugar goes into a beer kit, and what more of it does
- What the numbers on a beer kit tin actually mean
- 7 reasons to brew your own beer at home
If you're working out which kit to start with, Brewhilder will help you pick, or have a look through the beer supplies.
Moderation is the dullest answer in this whole post, and in my experience the dull answers are usually the right ones.
Candeece
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