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Beer and Carbohydrates

I get a lot of emails asking about levels of carbohydrates in beers. Unfortunately, I don't know much about it and there's an appalling lack of information. The problem is that most manufacturers don't put it on the label and most beer websites aren't interested because low carbohydrate beers are often nasty, mass-produced beers that beer connoisseurs sneer at. There is a demand for information about beer and carbs, however, both from people with diabetes and from obese people. I'm no expert on any of this, but I've tried to gather a few figures.

Firstly, don't assume that low carbohydrate beers are better for you. There seems to be a universal assumption that "low-carb" means "healthy". We must also consider the calorie and alcohol content. Low carbohydrate beers are often higher in alcohol because more of the sugar is turned to alcohol. This is not necessarily a good thing: though there is less sugar, alcohol itself is high in calories, so low carbohydrate beers are not necessarily low in calories. In fact Diabetes UK goes so far as to state "Drinking low carbohydrate beers (eg, Pils [...]) and cider offer no benefit because of their higher alcohol content." ^[1].

A little perspective may help: a 33cl bottle of Guinness contains about 5.2g of carbohydrate, while a pack of Jacob's Thai Bites contains 19.5g ^[2], a slice of bread (Marks and Spencer sliced Farmhouse Baker's White) contains 16.0g ^[2] and a 30g helping of Kelloggs Bran Flakes with 125ml semi-skimmed milk will deliver a whopping 27g ^[2].

Many websites quote an average number of grammes of carbohydrates for particular types of beer, but this is virtually useless as there is huge variation within styles. One stout is not necessarily the same as the next and the levels of calories, alcohol and carbohydrates can be quite different. There tends to be less variation in the level of calories in spirits, as practically all the calories come from the alcohol, and the level of alcohol is apparent on the label. Sprits such as whisky, vodka and gin contain only traces of carbohydrate but significant calories, all of which come from the alcohol. There are about 50 calories in each pub measure (25ml) of whisky, vodka, gin, rum or brandy. Liqueurs are a whole different kettle of fish, as they contain other additional ingredients that can boost the carb and calorie rating. It all gets rather confusing as many of the figures quoted are in those crazy old imperial measures like fluid ounces (to make it even worse, a US fluid ounce is not the same as a British fluid ounce).

Eating sensibly is very important, but do you need to give up things you enjoy like good beer in order to lose weight? Maybe it would be less painful to cycle to work or go swimming a couple of times a week and burn off some of those calories?

Here are a few interesting comparisons:
12oz (Approx 330ml) Michelob Ultra: 95kCal/2.6g ^[5]
12oz Smirnoff Ice: 228kCal/32.0g ^[5]
12oz Miller Lite: 96kCal/3.2g ^[5]
12oz Anchor Steam Beer: 155kCal/16g ^[5]
12oz Beck's: 150kCal/12g ^[5]

Löwenbräu Pils claims to be low in carbohydrates, but I don't have the figures. It has a fairly high alcohol content: 5.6% ABV. ^[3]

Sainsbury's Diat Pils has 2.85g carbs per 500ml but a whopping 6.2% ABV. ^[4]

Dortmunder Aktien Brauerei (DAB) Diat Pils: 3.5g/500ml ^[4]

Guinness draught stout contains about 4% alcohol by volume, about 120 calories per 12-ounce (US) serving and has roughly 5.2g of carbohydrate (Lewis, MJ, 1995, Stout, Brewers Publications)

If you have any more relevant information, please email me and I'll list it so that others can benefit from it. You must include the source of the information, your email address, and, if you're quoting carb levels, the relevant liquid volume.

References

[1] http://www.diabetes.org.uk/eatwell/meal_planning/alcohol.htm on 25/10/2004

[2] From product label.

[3] http://www.refreshuk.com/refreshuk_brands_lowenbrau.htm on 15/04/2003

[4] http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/beer.asp?BeerID=1556 on 14/04/2003

[5] http://www.calorieking.com/foods/category.php?category_id=101 on 15/04/2003

Last updated: 15th April 2003

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