Influence of moderate beer consumption on human gut microbiota and its impact on fasting glucose and β-cell function

Beer contains polyphenolic compounds as well as phenolic acids that have a potential positive effect on human health. A study explored the impact of moderate beer consumption on human health and gut microbiota diversity.
In two studies, participants consumed three hundred fifty-five mL of non-alcoholic beer or alcoholic beer daily for 30 days. Anthropometric measures, blood samples for biochemistry, and fecal samples for microbiota analysis were collected on Day 1 and Day 30.
Non-alcoholic beer and alcoholic beer have effects on the composition of the gut microbiota, favouring the proliferation of Bacteroidetes with respect to Firmicutes. No increase in weight, waist, and hip parameters was observed, and the liver and lipid profile values were not modified for non-alcoholic beer. In addition, the consumption of non-alcoholic beer induced a decrease in fasting blood serum glucose and an increase in functional β cells. With the consumption of alcoholic beer, there was an increase in blood serum glucose and a decrease in functional β cells. In general, beer consumption neither changed anthropometric values, nor affected liver function. Although the glucose values decreased with non-alcoholic beer or increased with alcoholic beer, they remained within the normal range.
The authors’ conclusion is that moderate consumption of non-alcoholic beer has a positive effect on human health via supplementation of biological active polyphenol and phenolic acids, and by enrichment of the gut microbiota diversity with beneficial bacteria, while the presence of alcohol in alcoholic beer interferes with this effect. They do however state that more work should be done on this topic before general conclusions are drawn.
Source: F Hernández-Quiroz, K Nirmalkar, L E Villalobos- Flores, S Murugesan, Y Cruz-Narváez, E Rico-Arzate, C Hoyo-Vadillo, A Chavez-Carbajal, M L Pizano-Zárate, J García-Mena, Influence of moderate beer consumption on human gut microbiota and its impact on fasting glucose and β-cell function, Alcohol, Volume 85, 2020, Pages 77-94.