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The Truth about Carbohydrates and Beer
You may want to lose weight on a low carbohydrate diet and be dreading the idea of giving up your daily glass of beer. It may surprise you, however, that beer is lower in carbohydrates than you think.
Many of us are under the impression that beer is very high in carbohydrates. This is simply a myth. As a matter of fact, some beer is actually lower in carbohydrates than some wines. The myth of a lady having a glass of white wine to keep her weight down as opposed to a beer is just that, a myth. Some glasses of white wine have more carbohydrates than a glass of beer.
In a study done that calculated different types of beer with energy values, calorie content and carbohydrate content, it was found that some beers are actually high in energy levels, contain proteins and are low in carbohydrates.
Beers that were found to be the lowest in carbohydrates according to this study include the following:
- Pure Blonde - A light colored beer that has 0.9 grams of carbohydrates and about 0.3 percent of proteins;
- Fiji gold - A light colored beer that has 1.6 grams of carbohydrates and about 0.3 percent of proteins;
- Carlton Dry - A light colored beer that has 1.9 grams of carbohydrates and about 0.3 percent of proteins;
Beers that were found to have the highest amount of carbohydrates include the following:
- Sheaf Stout, a dark stout beer with 5.3 grams of carbohydrates and about 0.9 percent proteins;
- Guinness Stout, a dark stout beer with 4.9 grams of carbohydrates and about 0.9 percent proteins;
- Cascade Stout, a dark stout beer with 4.5 grams of carbohydrates and about 0.9 percent proteins.
Surprisingly enough, none of the beers mentioned had nearly the amount of carbohydrates as contained in a glass of port wine. The stout beers have more of a carbohydrate content as well as calorie content than the amber colored beers, but they also have a higher amount of proteins.
If you are thinking that you must give up your daily glass of beer in order to maintain a low carb diet, think again. Not only can you have your glass of beer, but you are actually better off having a glass of beer than a glass of soda. A glass of soda is loaded with simple carbohydrates and will turn to fat before the beer will.
In choosing your beer, you are better off having a lighter colored beer instead of a stout beer when it comes to carbohydrate content. Be wary of non alcoholic beers, however, as they tend to contain twice the amount of carbohydrates than a regular beer.
In moderation, you can enjoy a glass of beer during your low carbohydrate diet. You are better off having a beer than many other different types of drinks that may contain a high concentration of sugar. Although beers, like all fermented beverages, have some carbohydrates, the amount of carbohydrates contained in your favorite beer is not as bad as you might have thought.
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