New research has revealed the tipple beloved by Brits that puts drinkers most at risk of obesity and poor health.
Researchers in the US surveyed more than 1,900 adults who reported current alcohol use, comparing the diets of those who only drink beer (38.9%), only wine (21.8%), only spirits (18.2%), or a combination of alcohol types (21%).
Their self-reported eating habits were then measured against the Healthy Eating Index, a scoring metric that can be used to determine the overall quality of someone’s diet.
The alarming study found that none of those four groups were anywhere near a score over 80, indicative of an “adequate diet”, but one group stood out as the lowest.
Wine drinkers were found to be at around 55, while spirits-drinkers and those having different types of drinks clocked up close to 53 points.
But beer drinkers, who were more likely to be male, younger, smokers, and have a low income, ranked lowest with 49.
They also reported the highest daily calorific intake and getting the least amount of exercise, factors that put them at higher risk of obesity and diseases related to it, according to the research team.
Dr Madeline Novack, chief resident at Tulane School of Medicine’s internal medicine residency program and lead author of the study, issued a warning over the scale of alcohol related illness, saying: “Alcohol overuse is the leading cause of cirrhosis in the U.S., and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is rapidly increasing.
“Both types of liver disease often coexist, and lifestyle changes are key to managing and preventing these conditions, starting with understanding the link between alcohol use and poor nutrition,” she added.
But Dr Novak the differences in diet quality their findings showed may be linked to the environments in which these different types of booze are consumed.
She noted that wine, particularly red wine, is often drunk alongside more balanced meals featuring meat, vegetables and dairy.
Beer, on the other hand, is often knocked back in places where food is low in fibre and high in carbohydrates and processed meats.
It was also suggested that the food we may eat also influence the choice of alcohol, with fried or salty foods creating a thirst that makes people crave beer over other drinks.
The study will be presented at The Liver Meeting, held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, in San Diego on Sunday.
The NHS website recommends drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. That equates to around six medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or six pints of 4% beer.