Beer drinkers have lower-quality diets, are less active, and are more likely to smoke cigarettes than people who drink wine, liquor, or a combination, according to a study scheduled for presentation at The Liver Meeting, held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Using a survey of a nationally representative sample of more than 1,900 U.S. adults who reported current alcohol use, researchers compared the diet quality among people who consume beer only (38.9%), wine only (21.8%), liquor only (18.2%), or a combination of alcohol types (21%), measuring self-reported eating habits against the Healthy Eating Index, a validated standardized tool based on dietary guidelines.
Beer-only drinkers, who were more likely to be male, younger, smokers, and low income, also reported the highest total daily caloric intake, adjusting for body weight, and the lowest level of physical activity.
Novack said the differences in diet quality among drinkers could be attributed to the context in which food and alcohol consumed together. In the U.S., beer is often chosen in settings where the available foods tend to be low in fiber and high in carbohydrates and processed meats. On the other hand, wine — particularly red wine — is often paired with meals complete with meat, vegetables and dairy.