Does Beer Affect Your Cholesterol? Here's What You Need to Know

It's Friday night—happy hour! A coworker picked that cool new brewery you've been wanting to try. But then you remember: you have a doctor's appointment coming up to check your cholesterol levels. Will having some beer impact your cholesterol?

Yes, beer can affect your cholesterol. Let's explore how drinking beer influences cholesterol levels and the risks involved if you already have high cholesterol.

What Is Beer Made Of?

Beer is one of the world's most popular drinks, with two main categories: lagers and ales, defined by their fermentation processes. All beers share four key ingredients:

• Grains/Malt: Usually barley, wheat, rice, corn, oats, or rye. These grains are malted to develop flavor, aroma, color, and fermentable sugars.
• Hops: Flowers from the Humulus Lupulus plant that add aroma and bitterness, balancing the malt's sweetness.
• Yeast: Consumes sugars during fermentation, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Most beer yeasts are neutral, letting grains and hops define the flavor.
• Water: Makes up about 95% of beer.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in every cell, essential for normal body function. Your liver produces cholesterol to build cell membranes, create hormones, and make vitamin D. While some foods contain cholesterol, your liver makes all you need.

There are two types:

• LDL (low-density lipoprotein): "Bad" cholesterol that can build up in arteries.
• HDL (high-density lipoprotein): "Good" cholesterol that carries LDL to the liver for breakdown.

An imbalance—too much LDL or too little HDL—can lead to LDL combining with triglycerides (a type of fat from food), forming hard deposits in arteries. This can block blood flow, raising the risk of heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol is influenced by lack of exercise, poor diet, stress, smoking, age, and genetics.

How Does Alcohol Affect Cholesterol?

Alcohol's impact on cholesterol depends on how much and how often you drink. Heavy drinking is defined as 15 or more drinks per week for men, or 8 or more for women.

• Light drinking may raise HDL ("good" cholesterol) and has been linked to lower heart disease risk in some studies—but this doesn't prove cause and effect.
• Heavy drinking increases LDL and triglycerides, raising the risk of artery blockages, stroke, and heart attack.

How Does Beer Specifically Affect Cholesterol?

Yes, beer can influence cholesterol. Malt, yeast, and hops contain phytosterols—plant compounds that bind to cholesterol and help remove it. But the phytosterol levels in beer are too low to effectively lower cholesterol.

One mouse study suggested moderate beer consumption might clear triglycerides from the liver and heart, but this hasn't been confirmed in humans.

Overall, beer is not a cholesterol-lowering solution. It contains alcohol and carbs that raise triglycerides. The empty calories can contribute to weight gain, and obesity is linked to higher LDL and lower HDL levels.

Dangers of Drinking With High Cholesterol

Combining alcohol with high cholesterol increases health risks:

• Raises triglyceride levels, increasing stroke and heart attack risk.
• Heavy drinking can elevate blood pressure, raising heart disease risk.
• Alcohol can damage the liver, impairing its ability to manage cholesterol.
• Extra calories from alcohol can lead to weight gain, further increasing cholesterol.

Tips for Drinking Beer With High Cholesterol

If you choose to drink with high cholesterol, consider these strategies:

• Drink in moderation: Limit to one beer or less per day, and avoid daily drinking.
• Be mindful: Notice your drinking habits without judgment. Tools like the Quitemate app can help you track and reduce consumption.
• Balance with healthy habits: Exercise regularly and avoid trans fats to help manage cholesterol.
• Try non-alcoholic beer: Satisfy the taste without the risks.

Does Quitting Drinking Reduce Cholesterol?

Yes! The CDC lists cutting alcohol as a way to lower cholesterol. Benefits may come from weight loss, fewer calories and carbs, and improved liver function.