In the hot summer, beer is particularly popular and is considered an essential drink by many to beat the heat.
Beer is rich in amino acids and vitamins, and it can stimulate the appetite, strengthen the spleen, relieve summer heat, and reduce internal heat, making it indeed suitable for summer consumption. However, the dangers of excessive beer drinking should not be underestimated. Paying attention to relevant "precautions" when drinking is necessary for physical and mental well-being.
It is not advisable to drink beer to quench thirst
Many people consider beer a refreshing drink to quench thirst and stop sweating. However, in fact, drinking beer may actually make thirst and sweating worse. According to health experts, while drinking beer provides a cool and comfortable sensation, once alcohol enters the body, it stimulates the secretion of adrenal hormones, causing the heart to beat faster, blood vessels to dilate, and body surface heat dissipation to increase. This, in turn, increases water evaporation and leads to a dry mouth.
At the same time, alcohol also stimulates the kidneys, accelerating metabolism and urination, which causes the body to lose water.
Furthermore, when alcohol dissolves into the blood, it increases the blood's viscosity. This forces the blood in the blood vessels to absorb water from the surrounding tissues to dilute the blood, which can also cause a dry mouth.
It is recommended to drink plenty of plain water and light tea after consuming beer to replenish the body's water in a timely manner.
It is not advisable to pair beer with grilled food
Many people enjoy drinking beer and eating barbecue on summer nights. However, this popular food combination can likely trigger gout and even cancer.
Experts point out that most grilled foods, such as seafood, animal offal, and meat, are also high-purine foods, just like beer. Abnormal purine metabolism is a major factor in inducing gout. Consuming grilled food and beer simultaneously significantly increases the risk of developing gout.
In addition, the grilling process not only produces carcinogens like "benzopyrene," but the nucleic acids in meat, when heated and broken down, can also cause gene mutations and produce carcinogens.
Drinking alcohol dilates the blood vessels of the digestive tract and dissolves the mucoprotein on the surface of the digestive tract's mucous membrane, making it easier for these carcinogens to be absorbed by the body, thereby increasing the cancer risk. Therefore, it is best to avoid eating grilled food when drinking beer. If you really want to eat it, you can have some green leafy vegetables at the same time to reduce the side effects.
The beer temperature should not be too low
Under the scorching sun, drinking chilled beer feels incredibly refreshing, but beer that is too cold not only affects the taste but may also induce various diseases.
Experts state that even beer stored in a refrigerator should be kept at a temperature between 5-10°C. This is because the solubility of the carbon dioxide in beer changes with temperature, and the various components of beer are best balanced within this temperature range.