Health benefits with alcohol free beer

Improving Health with Alcohol-Free Beer

I have known since university that beer has benefits for health, for example, beer drinkers don’t seem to suffer from kidney stones, the hops used in the beer making process have a relaxant effect, and the beer itself is full of nutrients. I learnt further from reading the now classic barefoot running book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, that the Tarahumara Indians drink home-brew low alcohol beer and eat chia seed gel which makes them great endurance-running athletes.  The problem is that the majority of beer on the market contains quite high levels of alcohol, usually between 4 and 5 percent, and it is the alcohol that isn’t good for you, it prevents good sleep, can cause fat to accumulate in the linings of arteries, and of course can cause liver damage.

Lately, along with no longer eating meat, I have also stopped drinking alcohol. In cutting out alcohol I immediately found that sleep is more restorative and with this a general improvement in physical and mental health. But I like beer, and I wanted to find a really good alcohol-free beer. I have tried almost all of the zero alcohol beers, from Cobra, Heineken, Becks, etc and they are OK, but not trully quite what I was after, I wanted something akin to the beer that the Tarahumara drink, something artisanal, cloudy, nutritious and tasty.

Franzikaner Alkoholfrei and Erdinger Alkoholfrei beer - the best of the best?

And I have found two excellent beers, Franziskaner (a Bavarian beer) and Erdinger (a German beer). Of course, they don’t taste exactly like beer with alcohol, but they do taste malty, beer-like, and nutritious. The alcoholic version of Franzikaner is a beautiful, foamy, cloudy beer with hints of citrus and banana, and the non-alcoholic version is perhaps less dense in flavour but still has a significant beer-like taste, and I think is one of the best non-alcoholic beer on the market.

Erdinger Alkoholfrei is marketed as a low-calorie isotonic “thirst quenching” drink with B9 and B12 vitamins which can “help reduce tiredness” and also promote the body’s “immune system and energy metabolism”. It seems too good to be true. But it was recommened to me by a fellow barefoot runner so I gave it a try, and...

I didn't look back - it was really good!

I have to say, this change in diet, more plants and more beer, really has had beneficial effects on my health. I do now have more energy, and I do feel an improvement in physical and mental welfare. Having suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for two years now, I can confidantly say that a mainly plant based diet, these two beers, and daily vitamins (with a little ginseng)  has dramatically improved my condition to the point that I am almost back to normal...I feel so confidant in this change in my health that I am going to start barefoot running again soon. This time next year I am sure I will have made a dramatic recovery and would have changed my life around.

Conclusion:

Whether you are a spooonie, a barefoot runner, or a bushcrafter who wants to cut down on alcohol, I really think it is worth trying out these drinks. Highly recommended!