Is Beer Good For The Gut?

I don’t drink beer. I’ve never liked the taste. But I do like to cook with it. So, in honor of Oktoberfest, let’s talk about the benefits of beer. I say this so you know I don’t have a pony in this show from a drinking perspective.

The very best use of beer I’ve ever experienced was an apple beignet. This was 30 years ago, and I can still remember the taste.

It was made by a well-known chef, Jamie Kennedy (not that Jamie Kennedy, another one), in a small boutique-like restaurant that is only ever found in the artsy part of a downtown urban center. I harassed him for years about those beignets—always asking him to prepare them for different events we participated in so I could experience the flavor and texture again.

He finally provided the recipe for a compilation cookbook for the 10th anniversary of Feast of Fields, an event we had both participated in for years. Was it my idea that he provides this recipe, and did I suggest it to the editor we hired to do the book? Maybe…

If you have had beignets, you know they should be light. For this recipe, the beer provided the yeast in the batter that coated the apple. Once fried, they were dusted with sugar and cinnamon. They were as light as can be but had all the notes of doughnut a person could ask for. And anything that tastes like a doughnut is always fine with me.

I tried the recipe once. I failed.

My other use for beer is to make a beer beef stew (recipe below).

The question is, why should I cook with it? Why should people drink it?

There are health benefits that can add to the diversity of the diet and improve beneficial bacteria, both needed for a healthy gut.

I recently read an article by David Cox titled Six beers that are good for your gut health – and the ones to avoid (msn.com)

Given the beers chosen, I’m pretty sure the author is British. Just apply what he says to beers in your area. And you’re most likely to find beers with similar properties in local artisan breweries. It’s all about the polyphenols in beer.

Hops contain polyphenols like xanthohumol and flavonoids, known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Malted barley grains provide polyphenols such as ferulic acid and catechins, which also have antioxidant effects and contribute to the beer’s flavor and body.

Here are the beers chosen:

Guinness: Known for its polyphenol content, Guinness, like red wine, could promote gut diversity and offer anti-inflammatory benefits.

Newcastle Brown Ale: Contains polyphenols and yeast strains, which, even if inactive, may still provide immune support in the gut. Why would the yeast be inactive? The beer has been pasteurized.

Hoegaarden and Belgian Beers undergo a second fermentation that introduces beneficial yeast and microbes, potentially aiding gut motility and diversity.

London Porter Dark Ale: The yeast sediment, common in darker or craft ales, may benefit the gut by improving microbial diversity.

Stella Artois Unfiltered: Unfiltered beers preserve polyphenols and yeast, which support gut health, unlike heavily filtered lagers.

Doom Bar Zero Alcohol-Free Amber Ale: Offers plant chemicals without the negative effects of alcohol, potentially making it more gut-friendly.

But what happens when we cook with it?

Polyphenols in beer are fairly heat-stable, so cooking, such as simmering or braising, preserves them, especially if temperatures aren’t too high. While alcohol evaporates, the beneficial compounds remain, enhancing flavor and potential health benefits. Cooking with dark, polyphenol-rich beers like stouts or porters in stews and marinades provides these benefits without the alcohol.

Most commercially available beers, including those mentioned, are pasteurized to ensure safety, stability, and longer shelf life. However, some craft or artisan beers, mainly certain Belgian beers like Hoegaarden or Westmalle Tripel, may be unpasteurized or only lightly pasteurized. These beers undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle, which can offer a fresher, more complex flavor profile and retain some live yeast cultures.

Regarding beneficial bacteria, you need to look for unpasteurized beer, either labeled as that or sometimes labeled “bottle-conditioned.” This refers to having live yeast ferment sugars in the bottle.

However, most large commercial beers are pasteurized, including Guinness, Newcastle Brown Ale, Stella Artois, and most North American beers. Some breweries may offer unfiltered or unpasteurized varieties for local markets.

Just ask the retailer or contact the brewery to get the best information.

You may even find an unpasteurized local organic brewery. Finding out what’s in your area could be a fun adventure.

If you’re a beer drinker, then this information may be music to your ears. But the key to gut health is diversity. Using too many of your calories for drinking beer leaves less room for other foods that would make your diet diverse. Plus, if you get drunk, you’ll be annoying.

I will continue to cook with it. You don’t have to make this stew; you can add it to soups or other stews as you see fit. The best time to do this is just after the onions have been sauteed.

And if you’re drinking it or drinking anything - Ein Prosit! If you’ve been to Oktoberfest, you know what

that means.

Beer Beef Stew

3 tbsp olive oil or butter

1 lb (500g) stewing beef or boneless beef chuck roast, cut into cubes 

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 medium onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 tbsp whole spelt or brown rice flour

12 oz or 375ml beer of your choice

2 cups beef or chicken broth

1 bay leaf

2 tsp dried thyme

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, not peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 14-oz (396ml) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 cups baby spinach

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a large saucepan that can also be used in the oven (Dutch oven) on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil or butter. Add the beef and brown it. Season with sea salt and pepper. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Add the onion and stir until it is cooked and lightly browned. Add the flour and stir. Pour in the beer and bring to a boil to cook off the alcohol.

Allow the beer to deglaze the pan. Add the broth, bay leaf, thyme beef, carrots, and celery to the pan.

Cover with a lid and bake for 2 hours. Add the potatoes and continue to cook until the potatoes are soft.

Add the tomatoes and spinach. Continue to cook until soft. Taste and add more sea salt and pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaf. Scoop into bowls and serve.

Tip: This can be made in a slow cooker or an instant pot. Just follow the machine’s instructions. Feel free to use different vegetables.

Tip: If you prefer to serve this with mashed potatoes, as seen in the picture, skip adding potatoes to the stew and make the mashed potatoes separately.