Alcohol is now being marketed as a ‘wellness’ drink (Additional Coverage)
Source: https://nypost.com/
By Hannah Sparks
June 6, 2019
Young adults today are imbibing less than previous generations, and many have kicked the habit altogether, preferring to make sobriety the hip choice. At the same time, health-conscious millennials are spending more money at the gym, even making group-fitness birthday celebrations a thing.
So it was only a matter of time before beverage manufacturers began marketing formulations tuned to your health, such as 26.2 Brew. The flagship drink of Marathon Brewing Company, a new branch of the Boston Beer Company (makers of Sam Adams), 26.2 purports to be a beer “for runners, by runners.” Created by marathoner, triathlete and cicerone Shelley Smith, 26.2 has 4.0 percent alcohol by volume, 9 grams of carbs and 120 calories. The golden ale is made in part with Himalayan sea salt – which helps to replenish your body with electrolytes.
Smith says hardworking runners are always looking for optimal post-workout drinks – ones that taste good and give them a buzz without undermining their fitness regimen.
“Even before creating 26.2 Brew, I would often enjoy a post-run beer,” Smith tells The Post. “Many of the running clubs I am a part of go out for beers after our runs, and it’s always a great way to celebrate crossing the finish line.”
With the slogan Will Sweat for Beer, Sufferfest Beer Co., owned by Sierra Nevada Brewing, also targets athletes and outdoorsmen. Their 165-calorie, 5.5 percent ABV pale ale, called Fastest Known Time, has about as much electrolyte-replenishing sodium (96 milligrams) as many standard sports drinks, and contains vitamin C-packed black currants, which the brand claims boost gut and kidney health.
Harpoon, too, says their 120-calorie, 3.8 percent ABV Rec. League beer was created with a “groundbreaking blend” of nutritional ingredients, such as vitamin B-rich kasha, high-fiber chia seeds and Mediterranean sea salt, plus an abundance of omega-3s and anti-oxidants.
For what it’s worth, 26.2 Brew is endorsed by the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), and they don’t claim to be a better option than, say, Gatorade or water, but experts warn that the idea of alcohol as a healthy workout-recovery bev should be taken with a grain of Himalayan salt.
Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone, says all alcohol is metabolized by the body in the same way, regardless of “herbs or sodium or other ingredients,” adding, “It’s toxic, which is why we get intoxicated.”
US dietary guidelines recommend that alcohol be consumed “in moderation” – up to one drink a day for women and two for men.
A “clear and unambiguous” study published last year in the Lancet endorses even less consumption, calling alcohol “a colossal global health issue” and saying its marginal health benefits “are outweighed by the increased risk of other health-related harms, including cancer.”
Guidelines set by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau prohibits these producers from making healthy-related claims, but that doesn’t stop other brands from using potentially flimsy nutritional science to market their supplement-packed hooch.
Artisanal mezcal brand Gem & Bolt uses organic, sustainable, fair-trade agave, is additive-free, and it hypes its key ingredient, damiana – a wild shrub native to Central America and the West Indies, used traditionally to elevate mood and boost libido. Nevertheless, few studies on the medicinal herb support these claims.
Heller reminds us that ingredients dubbed “natural” are not necessarily safe or healthy, and that many of these additives may not have been thoroughly tested.
“We don’t know how much of that substance would offer the benefits claimed, or what the adverse side effects and interactions could be,” she says.
Even winemakers, with their centuries of highly regulated practice, are inventing new ways to produce wines that address a number of dietary concerns. One Napa Valley company, Dry Farm Wines, offer low-sugar, paleo- and keto-friendly, low-carb and lower-ABV varietals for a “better, cleaner buzz.” And the buzzy natural, organic or “raw” wines claim to be made with fewer additives than traditional wine, which some producers say help stave off hangovers – a benefit that clinical research can’t support.
At the end of the day, Heller and other experts understand that drinkers are going to drink, and some options could be better than others, but they caution consumers against buying into the health-conscious hype.
“If you drink ‘responsibly,’ ” says Heller, “alcohol can be a part of a healthy lifestyle, but we should not be fooled into thinking drinks with added substances might negate the [effects of] alcohol or make it a healthy [choice].”