And the Healthiest Beer is...

When you're a dietitian you can never go out to dinner with friends without nutrition questions entering into the conversation. Last night's question: What is the healthiest beer to order? This, of course, is a loaded question and especially difficult to answer if you are a wine connoisseur. The answer depends on how you define healthy. Is it high in anti-inflammatory benefits, high in folate, low in calories, low in carbohydrates or lower in alcohol?

In general, there are three types of beer. These are regular, light and non-alcoholic. More alcohol means more calories. Light beer has less alcohol, so fewer calories as compared to regular beer and is often 90-120 calories per 12-ounce serving. Regular beer has about 5 percent alcohol and 150 calories per 12-ounce serving. Darker beer such as cream ales and stouts can often have more than calories. And non-alcoholic beer has around 70 calories.

Beer history:

Beer has been around as long as humans have been cultivating crops and is actually made with some very healthy ingredients. Historically beer was seen as beneficial, and rightly so because it was often more sanitary than local water supplies. This is because the water used to make beer was boiled early on in the brewing process, which killed any pathogens. The alcohol produced during fermentation and the addition of hops helped to preserve it. Beer was the most reliable source of sanitary hydration until water treatment plants became available.

Beer also contains folate (an important B vitamin), which may help to reduce homocysteine in the blood. Lower homocysteine levels mean a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Drinking beer in moderation raises high-density lipoprotein or HDL (the good cholesterol) in some individuals. Other studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and in the American Heart Association Journal have found lower risks for dementia and better cognitive function for those who drank alcohol 1-6 times per week (not all at once).

New organic beers are hitting the market and they don't contain sulfites, chemical preservatives and are made with mostly, if not all, organic ingredients. There are also beers flavored with antioxidant-laden super-fruits that can also have a health impact. It's the alcohol content, as well as vitamins and minerals, in beer that has proved to make a difference.

If we measure the healthiest beer based on calories, here is how they stack up.

(see graphic)

So, if you are just looking at calories, what's healthier Framboise or Blue Moon? Framboise (a personal favorite) will win every time, plus it has added value - antioxidants from the raspberries. Cheers!

Dr. SeAnne Safaii, Ph.D., RD, LD, is an assistant professor at the University of Idaho.