Drinking a pint might be a popular pastime but what damage does it do to your body? And are there any upsides? A refreshing pint on a warm day is part of our culture . A pint after work on a Friday is, as British TV pundit Tom Skinner described: “a basic human right”. You wouldn’t think it when you walk past packed pub gardens, but beer sales in the United Kingdom have declined in the past five years.
They’re down one billion litres last year from 4.8 billion in 2018, according to Statista. The cause? A triple whammy of Brexit, the pandemic, and inflation.
Today, the cost of a pint there is more expensive than ever. But the love of beer is bouncing back. Sales are increasing and are projected to rise over the next three years with a trend towards premium brands.
It remains the tipple of choice for the UK’s drinkers, with a 2023 report by the Grocer placing Stella Artois as the top alcohol brand in the UK with other beer brands in the top five. Drinking too much beer can lead to chronic disease but there is a fine line between low to moderate beer supping, with some studies suggesting tentatively that it might have mild health benefits. We ask Telegraph nutritionist Sam Rice how different beers stack up nutritionally.
Guinness, per pint 4.2 per cent ABV, Calories 198, Sugar 1.1g The 1920s slogan “Guinness is good for you” gave the black stuff a reputation for being healthy which endures to this day.
There’s not a huge amount to back up the claim, although Guinn.