Beer Glycemic Index

Low beer glycemic index shouldn't mislead you into believing that beer is healthy and it is great to drink lots of beer to lose weight! There are so many different diet programs out there that will unfortunately get you nowhere.

There is quite a bit of confusion over the beer and alcohol glycemic index and whether they help to lose weight or not. A type of sugar in beer, maltose is known to be worse than table sugar and ranks 110 when normal sugar is 100 on the scale.

But... during fermentation of beer, all the maltose is converted into carbonation and alcohol. Beer is low in carbs and contains hardly any sugar. Does this mean they are good for you or help you maintain your ideal weight? Well absolutely not!

Glycemic index of beer or other alcoholic beverages is very low, which doesn't mean a lot in weight loss. Glycemic index shows how quickly carbohydrates in foods or drinks will cause a spike in your blood and it is great to follow a lower glycemic index diet for overall health. But it simply isn't everything in nutrition, there are other factors to consider.

Alcohol will not just go through you as many would love to believe! Alcohol is processed in the body before everything else- carbs, protein and fats. This will slow down the fat burning process in the body and you will end up putting on more weight.

For diabetics or people that are aiming to lose weight....some sugar still exists in the beer, its glycemic index is not zero as some suggest.  Apart from the sugars in the beer, the alcohol also has a lot of calories, which is not good for your waist line. Beer will actually stimulate insulin release. It is to be avoided in their diets. Non-alcoholic beers are not good either, as they often have higher levels of sugar (or malt) added to make them taste better.

Alcohol consumption in moderation with meals is proven to have certain health benefits- mainly to do with cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention in different studies, but when it comes to losing weight, keep away from alcohol as it will most definitely not help you lose weight, whether the beer glycemic index is low or high.