Beer is better than milk for promoting good health. It’s also better than than milk for reducing or maintaining weight. Not only is beer better than milk. So are wine and liquor (distilled spirits). Spirits include whiskey, rum, vodka, tequila, etc. Also see Beer vs Cola: Which is Better for Health?

Why Beer is Better than Milk

Beer, wine, and spirits all have fewer calories and less sodium than milk. And none has any fat or cholesterol. But milk is loaded with all of them. Also while milk is associated with weight gain, alcohol beverages are not. Also see Alcohol, Calories and Weight Gain.

Source:  USDA Database.

But there is one important difference. You can drink all the milk you want before driving. Not so with alcohol.

How to Avoid Intoxication

It’s easy to have a good time at a party or other gathering while still avoiding intoxication. Here are some tips.

• •  Standard drinks ( see to the right) have the same amount of pure alcohol. It’s 0.6 ounce of alcohol. So when it comes to alcohol content, a drink is a drink is a drink.
  • Sip your drinks slowly. Enjoy and savor them.
  • Have a non-alcohol beverage for every alcohol one you take.
  • Avoid drinking games. They promote excessive drinking in short periods of time.
  • Limit alcohol drinks to no more than one per hour
  • Accept a drink only when it fits into your drinking plan. If someone tries to force a drink on you, ask for a non-alcohol beverage instead. If that fails, “lose” your drink by setting it down later and leaving it.
  • Avoid pressure to drink. Simply choose a beverage that looks like an alcohol drinks. They include tomato juice, lemonade, iced water, and water with ice cubes. Also club soda with orange juice, tonic water with a twist of lemon or lime. And don’t forget either orange juice or 7-Up with grenadine. Furthermore, they all taste good.
  • Beware of unfamiliar drinks. Some drinks, such as zombies and other fruit drinks, can be deceiving. That’s because their alcohol content is not detectable. Therefore, it is dificult to space drinking them properly.
  • Use alcohol carefully in with meds. Read their labels for any warnings about drinking.

Of course, never drive if you’re not completely sober. Nor let anyone else.

Resources

Popular Books

Bamford, C. Beer: Health and Nutrition. Oxford: Blackwell.

Clemens, R., et al. Milk and Milk Products in Human Nutrition. Vevey, Switzer: Nestle Nut Inst.

Gastineau, C., et al. Fermented Food Beverages in Nutrition. NY: Academic Press.

Lange, E., and Vogel. Milk Consumption and Health. NY: Nova.

Park, Y., and Haenlein, G. Milk and Dairy Products in Human Nutrition. Production, Composition, and Health. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Sahidi, F., et al. Nutraceutical Beverages. Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health. Wash: Am Chem Soc.

Note

At this point, you know why beer is better than milk for good health. So congrats!