What Happens If You Drink Beer Every Day?

I mean, you’re gonna put on weight, right? Get a beer belly?

And while that can be true, it’s a little more complicated than that. And as we discover why, I’m going to perform an experiment, drinking a beer every day for 30 days straight.

Hey, it’s a tough job, but all in the name of science.

Here are my body measurements before the month began. I typically only drink three or four times a week, so I’m effectively doubling down here,… science!

So what happens to your body if you drink beer every day?

Well, first let’s start with the basics. Beer has calories and a bottle of beer can range anywhere from well, 100 to 300 calories per serving. A can of sugar filled Coca-Cola by comparison as 140 calories. So beer can exceed soda.

And not all beers are created equal. a 12 ounce pour of a 4% beer, like a light German Pilsner will have around 100 calories. The same pour of an 8% Belgian Tripel will likely be two and a half times higher.

A good rule of thumb to figure this out yourself is beer calories = The ABV of the beer X by a factor of 2.5 times by the number of ounces in the beer. [Beer Calories Calculator]

And then there’s all those empty carbs. So expect as well as all of those calories between one to two grams of carbs per ounce of beer.

Now what about all that alcohol?

Your liver does most of the work metabolizing your alcohol, but it still takes its toll. Your body will turn all those empty calories into fat and store it in your liver. That can lead to fatty liver disease, which is surprisingly common.

And if you drink beer every day, your liver will start to adapt by producing more enzymes to break down alcohol.

And unfortunately that means other foods are going to get broken down slower because the body has less resources available. You know, that bloated feeling you get after a night of drinking, that’s not just water weight. It’s your body telling you it’s fighting hard to process all that alcohol.

So drinking beer is bad, right?

Well, it’s not all doom and gloom. For one thing, I’ve been having a ball. I’ve been enjoying beers at home, beers at the bar, beers in the sun, and beers on the ski slopes.

This isn’t a typical month for me, by the way, it’s just been a really good few weeks.

Health Benefits: Drinking Beer In Moderation

But there really are some health benefits drinking beer in moderation. Moderate drinkers, people who drink one or two beers per day tend to well live longer. Moderate drinkers also lowered some of their risks like lowering the risk of heart attack and lowering the risk of developing type two diabetes.

Why is that? Well, alcohol consumption has been shown to increase HDL or good cholesterol, and it can help reduce your risk of blood clots and inflammation, which causes heart attacks and strokes.

Other noted health benefits are reduced risk of dementia, improved bone health, and long livity.

So what happens to your body if you drink beer every day?

Well, if you stick with one or two drinks per day, your risks are relatively low, but it does mean that your liver is going to have a workout so keep up the exercise and the hydration.

As for me here are my stats one month later, it really didn’t make a huge difference. Science.