Is Guinness good for you?
A couple of years ago I wrote a post on St. Patrick’s Day after doing some research on Guinness.
I have heard rumors that Guinness is high in iron and better for you than most beers. I also heard that pregnant women have been advised to drink Guinness because of the high iron and low alcohol.
Is any of this true? Is Guinness good for you?
As I am researching there is no real clear answer to whether or not Guinness is in fact actually good for you. Though leaning toward no seems better than leaning toward yes.
The calories and alcohol content tend to be a little lower than other beers.
According to Realbeer.com, a 12-ounce Guinness draft has 4% alcohol, 125 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates. (Just a reminder that a pint is 16 ounces.) I looked up a few other beers for comparison, all for 12 ounces: Blue Moon White: 5.4% alcohol, 171 calories and 12.9 grams of carbs; Budweiser: 5% alcohol, 143 calories and 10.6 grams of carbs; Heineken: 5.4% alcohol, 166 calories and 9.8 grams of carbs; Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: 5.7% alcohol, 171 calories and 14.1 grams of carbs; and last, a beer Curt and I used to drink a lot in Oregon when we were here years ago, Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve: 4.5% alcohol, 128 calories and 9.2 grams of carbs.
According to a Men’s Health article, (and many other articles I read) said Guinness has a high-iron content and that pregnant women and nursing mothers are urged to drink a pint. The stout contains “antioxidant compounds” similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables. These compounds slow down the deposit of cholesterol on artery walls.
I have heard that Guinness contains iron and women, pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to drink it. But everything I researched for this post doesn’t really support that. According to Mail Online (and many other sources), a pint of Guinness contains 0.3mg of iron, less than three percent of daily adult needs.
So whether you are having a Guinness, another beer or any alcohol, make sure to drink in moderation. And hell, in between drinks have a glass of water.