Is Beer Really That Harmless? 15 Shocking Truths You Never Expected

Many people consider beer to be a less harmful alternative to other alcoholic beverages.

It gives the impression of being less pretentious, more down to earth - even quite nice in the hot season.

However, studies have shown a different picture. Your daily beer could be just a recipe for your death from various diseases or disorders without even realizing it.

In fact, beer can not only sabotage your organs but also alter your look without your knowledge, so why is this the case?

This is the first thing to go through your mind when you find out that people who consume beer on a daily basis physiologically end up explaining this fact. And here is why...

1. Beer Weakens Your Immune System Silently

Maybe you don't associate your regular colds or allergies with the fact that you drink beer every evening, nevertheless science does.

Alcohol in beer causes the destruction of the gut’s protective lining. It is this lining where the friendly bacteria, which support the immune system, live.

When it is weakened, the population of harmful microbes increases and the body’s capability to fight against infections decreases markedly.

So, you get ill quite frequently, the period of getting well is prolonged and your immune system deteriorates little by little without any obvious signs.

How “just a drink” could turn from a health hazard without your knowledge.

2. It Worsens Digestive Health Over Time

Do you feel bloated, gassy, or uncomfortable after eating but you don't know the reason? It could be your daily beer.

Beer kills the good bacteria in your gut and this is why your microbiome is affected. These bacteria regulate digestion, mood, and nutrient absorption.

When they are killed, digestion becomes slow, toxins accumulate, and the body's defense against infection becomes weakened.

The worst part about this harm is that it does not produce immediate agony.

Rather, the effect goes on quietly, until you find yourself having chronic discomfort, symptoms similar to IBS, or new food sensitivities.

3. Beer Triggers Skin Problems You May Blame on Weather

If you have accused the seasonal change that you have dry skin, pimples or redness, then you should definitely stop doing that.

Possibly, it could be your beer. Alcohol even in small amounts causes inflammation in your body.

This inflammation can become a source of these diseases or make them worse if they were already there, e.g., eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.

Your skin is an indicator of your internal health, and beer is a factor that makes it out of balance.

Moreover, when your liver is occupied with alcohol, it cannot detox your body as efficiently as before.

You could be applying a lot of creams to your skin because you think the problem is in your surroundings — but the reality might be in your drink.

4. Daily Beer Disrupts Your Sleep Cycle

Do you think beer will help you sleep? Probably you will fall asleep but it will not be a quality one.

Alcohol disrupts the rapid eye movement sleep phase during which the brain is getting its rejuvenating, memory, and mood functions.

It is, therefore, possible that you will sleep for a longer time but at the same time, you will wake up feeling tired, annoyed, and with difficulty concentrating throughout the day.

Incapacitated sleeping patterns will gradually affect not only the person's psychological state but also the energy levels and the weighed condition.

The worst thing? You may assume that your beer is giving you the needed sleep - whereas it is the cause of your fatigue.

5. Your Teeth and Breath Suffer More Than You Think

Daily beer drinking doesn't only affect your health — it is also a hygiene issue. The sugars and acids in beer provide nutrients to the harmful bacteria in your mouth.

This results in the development of plaque, rotting of teeth, and a bad-smelling breath that persists even after thorough brushing.

Feeling that mouthwash is the answer? You are mistaken. The harm penetrates to your gums and results in small cavities between teeth.

Moreover, if you have observed people retreating when you address them, it probably is not an effect of the food but rather an effect of your last night's drink.

6. Beer Disables Your Saliva Glands

People usually underestimate the importance of the saliva in the mouth, though it plays a very important role in oral health.

The saliva protects teeth, helps digest food, and removes bacteria from the mouth.

A daily consumption of a beer causes the mouth to dry out and the secretion of saliva to be lowered.

In the absence of saliva, bacteria multiply, thus decay of teeth gets fast, and bad breath becomes a regular occurrence.

It is quite common that the mouth becomes dry and sticky little by little during the day, but most of the people are not aware of the trap and keep putting water to their lips, which of course does not solve the problem.

The consequence? Gradual destruction of oral health that goes unnoticed…until it becomes too late.

7. It Can Permanently Stain Your Teeth

The golden or dark brew of your choice might appear to be harmless - however, it is made of chromogens, pigment-producing compounds that adhere to the enamel of your teeth.

As the stains grow, you will not be able to get rid of them by brushing your teeth.

Moreover, it is not only about the appearance: the stained enamel is that which is weaker, more porous, and susceptible to decay.

If you add acidity to that, you have a double impact on your smile. Are you teeth getting dull and yellow recently?

Well, it is probably not your toothpaste fault - rather your drinking habit may be doing the harm.

8. Beer Ages Your Skin Prematurely

Have you seen your skin's lack of luster or has it seemed older to you during the last days? One of the reasons could be that you have been drinking beer regularly without even realizing it.

Alcohol is a diuretic, which is a substance that removes water from the body.

When you are dehydrated, your skin loses its elasticity at a rapid pace. That glow, which is often associated with youthfulness, is no longer there.

You are falling short of your skin with dry patches, uneven tone, and fine lines — even if you are in your 30s.

In addition to that, beer is one of the factors which collagen production, the protein that is responsible for the eruption of firm and smooth skin.

As a result of this, the signs of aging that are there arrive slowly, but the effects get bigger and bigger over the years.

The problem is not that your skincare routine is not working but it may be the drink you are having after dinner.

9. It Destroys Collagen and Elasticity

Two proteins (collagen and elastin) keep your skin tight and toned. Alcohol - particularly when taken daily - halves both of these.

Beer can fool you with its innocent appearance, yet it is the giver of oxidative stress that fragments the proteins under your skin.

The consequences? Drooping, fine lines, and deep wrinkles even in younger adults.

Furthermore, if you are mixing beer with bad sleep or eating a lot of sugar, the aging effects will be potentiated.

It is a gradual process - you will not see it at once - but someday, you will ask yourself when the wrinkles around your eyes and the sagging of your face appeared.

10. Belly Fat From Beer Isn’t a Myth

Beer is not only high in calories, but it also encourages the development of a harmful type of fat known as visceral fat.

This fat penetrates deeply into your stomach area and wraps around the organs.

So, if you are slim in other areas, the daily consumption of beer can still cause your belly to increase in size.

Nevertheless, the real risk factor is that visceral fat is associated with diabetes, heart disease, and hormonal imbalances.

Most individuals assume that they are just “a bit bloated” - not comprehending that they are accumulating toxins and stress hormones inside their bodies.

And the worst thing? This fat is very difficult to lose once it has accumulated.

11. Beer Raises Your Risk of Fatty Liver

Though beer is less alcoholic than hard liquor, the harm made to the liver is still there and the damage accumulates if the person is a regular user.

A drink unnecessarily puts your liver under extra stress as it has to change alcohol into toxins and get rid of them.

Then, your liver becomes so fatigued that instead of eliminating the toxins, it begins to store fat in itself.

This condition is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and it hardly gives a warning when it goes to its late stages.

Moreover, the disease is not limited only to the heavy drinkers.

A glass of beer a day, raptured over a long period, can make your liver inflamed without your knowing and can also cause you other health problems in the future.

12. It May Lead to Insulin Resistance

Most people are unaware that beer significantly raises their blood sugar.

The simple carbs in beer are quickly absorbed into your system, which results in a short burst of insulin.

If this is repeated frequently, your cells become unresponsive to the insulin they receive signals from - a situation known as insulin resistance.

It is the initial stage of prediabetes, and later on, it will give rise to Type 2 diabetes.

Are you thinking that you are out of danger because you eat healthily? Well, think once more.

Beer makes a sugar-alcohol mixture that releases glucose and fat into your body simultaneously.

If you have gotten a pot belly, have low energy after eating, and have a stronger desire for sugar - then this could be the case with you already.

13. Beer May Raise Cancer Risk — Especially in Young Adults

Shocked? You aren’t the only one. Beer is usually considered a low-risk product — but in fact, alcohol of any kind is a carcinogen.

Alcohol, when metabolized in the body, is converted to acetaldehyde — a very toxic substance that damages DNA and at the same time, it inhibits the normal functioning of the repair mechanisms in cells.

Over the years, research has associated daily consumption of beer with an elevated incidence of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and breast.

And this is the frightening part: since beer is perceived as “safe,” people consume it in larger quantities thereby increasing their dose of exposure.

Young adults are in a particularly dangerous position because alcohol consumption at an early age makes a person more prone to cancer during the whole life.

14. Your Brain Suffers Quietly

Beer doesn’t only affect your body — your brain is also impacted. Regular intake can reduce the size of the hippocampus, that part of the brain that deals with memory and learning.

It is possible to experience memory loss, losing things, not being able to concentrate and these symptoms might be attributed to stress or getting older.

But these “little things” will be with you for a long time and eventually, they can turn into cognitive problems.

Some studies even link excessive beer consumption with the development of dementia symptoms at the age of forty.

The process is slow, and when you realize it, the harm is already there.

15. It Becomes a Habit Before You Notice

Just one beer to refresh the body. Then one more for sleeping. Then another with friends. Before you know it, beer has become a part of your daily life - not an option.

This is the process of dependence initiation. Not from the strong spirits, but from what appears to be the most harmless drink.

The simplicity of the acquisition, the societal approval, the delightful flavor - all of these conceal the gradual destruction of your body and mind's growing dependence on it.

You might feel like you are not addicted, but why don't you try to abstain from it for a week. If that idea makes you nervous, then it is very likely that your habit has already been your master.

Do You Know

1. Beer Weakens Your Immune System Silently

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