People only just realising truth about ‘beer bellies’ after ‘booze goggles’ lie

Booze boffins reckon “beer goggles” don’t boost people’s attractiveness.

American researchers claim that pints only encourage drinkers to approach folk they already fancy, not magically make them appear better looking – as the old adage goes.

Now Brit boffiness Jo Hemmings has claimed that’s nonsense.

But there are many beery myths out there, as James Moore discovers…

READ MORE: 'Beer goggles' myth busted in boozy experiment – but blokes' 'Dutch courage' exists

Belly up

Forget the idea of a “beer belly”. The drink has fewer calories per 100ml than wine, spirits and orange juice.

It contains no fat, little sugar and research reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no link between the amount of beer people drank and the size of their gut.

Dark truth

Many people think because a beer is darker in colour it’s stronger or has more calories. But this is also a red herring. A beer is usually darker simply because its grains have been roasted for longer.

Cold reality

Serve beer too cold and you won’t taste its flavour, warn experts. Brewers advise serving beer in the range of 3-13C, with lagers at the bottom end of the scale and ales nearer the top.

It’s also a myth that when cold beer gets warm it gets “skunked”, ruining its taste. This is actually a chemical reaction when it’s exposed to light.

Tinny mistake

A lot of people think bottled beer is better than canned. In fact, experts say it should make no difference to the taste. Cans can actually be the best way to store beer as they are better at protecting the drink from light and oxygen.

Dis-orders

You might have heard the phrase “Beer before wine makes you feel fine, wine before beer makes you feel queer.” But a study found it doesn’t matter in which order you have different alcoholic drinks – your hangover will be just as bad.

Porter porker

The old slogan goes “Guinness is good for you”. While it does contain iron it’s a myth that it is good for pregnant women, as historically recommended by some doctors. Alcohol is dangerous for babies’ development and there’s as much iron in one egg yolk as three pints.

Med for it

You might have heard people in medieval times only drank ale as the water was too dirty. But historians now say they did drink water they knew was clean. The main reason they supped low-alcohol “small beer” was for extra nutrition and energy.

Body of evidence

Drinking too much beer is bad for you, but in moderation it may have some benefits too. Studies suggest it can boost gut health and bones.

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