To drink or not to drink? Unfortunately, such a question almost never confronts people. But often the problem of choosing a drink. More often we are guided by taste and personal preferences, but sometimes we give this preference to the least harmful drink of two equal in other characteristics. So, what is more harmful for a feast? Vodka or beer? Suppose there is no healthy drink here, but their health effects are different. At the same time, the fortress is also not the same, so the question requires thought.
The main guests of the feast
It is not so easy to answer the question of which is more harmful - vodka or beer, as these are two regular participants in any holiday. It is no coincidence that foreigners consider Russia as the most drinking country. I must say that this point of view is erroneous, and in this rating, our country is hardly in the top ten. In plus, you can write down the fact that both vodka and beer are considered quite “pure” drinks and even more natural, but harmless they can not be called. Each of them contains ethanol, and this is a common feature that allows comparison, despite belonging to different groups. Let's try to make a comparative description and figure out which is more harmful - vodka or beer.
Ancient drink
Let's try to plunge into the times of "foamy antiquity" and find out the pros and cons of drinking alcohol. It is impossible to say with accuracy when alcohol became an integral part of the holidays in Russia, but it is known for certain that the ancient Sumerians used alcohol for both amusement and the treatment of toothache. He was not only drank, but also rinsed in his mouth for an effective effect on nerve endings. From the Middle Ages, a tradition came to serve alcohol to the table, and not a single meal was complete without it, and often alcohol was consumed for medicinal purposes. There was a belief that alcohol cures spiritual and physical devastation, and they supposedly cured even hopeless patients. It is worth recalling the famous Paracelsus, who used beer fern infusion to treat all patients, regardless of the disease. Many doctors really experimented with beer treatment and agreed that beer should be consumed with drugs to increase effectiveness. It is surprising that with the passage of time it has become forbidden to mix alcohol with medicines. But many contraindications do not prevent people from following the recommendations of ancient doctors.
Opinion about alcohol
Residents of different countries have a long-held opinion about alcohol. For example, Germany is associated in the minds of many with the famous beers. In the country there is even an institute for studying the effect of alcohol on the body. Scientists believe that a liter of unfiltered beer is more beneficial than a similar amount of milk. True, except the Germans, no one else supports this theory. In Scandinavia, beer is on the list of the best sedatives and is even considered a fat burner. The last theory went with the light hand of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was on a beer diet before the competition "Mr. Universe". At the same time, no one mentions a threat to the liver from such a nutrition system.
Pros: explicit and not very
In the discussion that vodka or beer is more harmful, American scientists are surprisingly unanimous: they believe that a dose of a 500 ml hops drink every day can reduce the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system. The healing component lies in a substance called lipoprotein, which cleanses blood vessels of toxins. By the way, in Italy such a “skill” is attributed to red wine, but the therapeutic dose was reduced to 300 ml daily, believing that such an amount would not harm the liver. So, can beer be a cure ?! Hardly, you can not deny the negative impact of the drink.
Was there a boy?
If the company of men raises the question of which is more harmful - vodka or beer, the impact on health is considered from a somewhat specific angle. In particular, men are scared by the notorious talk that beer contains female hormones and over time can provoke female type obesity and a decrease in potency. So, is it worth worrying for connoisseurs of a foamy drink? Firstly, hops contain phytoestrogen that is not degraded during processing. In composition and structure, it is close to female hormones and affects the male body poorly. In particular, the body becomes more rounded and a beer belly appears. At the same time, the aging process accelerates and the liver becomes clogged with the systematic use of the drink. So maybe girls can afford a beer? Unfortunately no. A beautiful semi-foamy drink threatens infertility. Considering the question: “What is more harmful - beer or vodka?”, It is worth considering that most often we do not mean “live” beer, but its analogue, which has passed the stages of filtration, pasteurization and purification. Such a product, of course, wins in terms of storage, but in terms of other characteristics it is much inferior.
About Vodka
It is worth telling a little about the rival beer in this matter. Vodka cannot be considered a drink that came from antiquity, as it has gained popularity in the world relatively recently. Moreover, not a single holiday is complete without it. In the sales ranking, vodka holds a confident palm, bypassing even cognac. It is impossible to state unequivocally that it is more harmful - beer or vodka, since when issuing the final verdict it is necessary to take into account the number and frequency of libations. But we can safely say that vodka is a pure product that does not contain any impurities in the composition. This avoids a morning hangover, of course, provided that the drinks did not mix and had a good snack. Beer cannot boast of this valuable quality, and therefore vodka is often preferred. It is also worth noting the duration of storage of "fiery water" and its distinctive taste. Yes, and a unique menu does not require vodka, unless it certainly does not fit a sweet table.
Let's go through the minuses
By comparing the benefits, we determined that for a long feast, vodka is more often purchased than beer. But the foamy drink wins during friendly gatherings and in the summer heat season. Let's try to go from the opposite and highlight the most significant negative points. So, what is more harmful - vodka or beer? The health effects are negative for both options, but vodka has the highest calorie content among alcoholic beverages and is rapidly increasing your weight. In addition, this drink increases appetite and implies the presence of a good snack. Meat, bread and vegetables go very well under vodka. The traditional "snack" are pickles, salted pork fat or onion. By the way, these products only whet your appetite, and the meal turns into endless. With vodka, the state of intoxication comes much faster, and, accordingly, addiction develops more quickly. Added to this are liver problems. By the way, addiction is not only a drink in its pure form, but also variations based on it. Fans of nightclubs prefer cocktails with vodka, a little more sweet and fragrant, but no less problematic. Remember! Vodka is a poison, since the concentration of ethanol in it is too high. A dose of 30 ml is considered safe when consumed at lunch and dinner.
Total ban
In some cases, it’s not at all worth figuring out which is more harmful - vodka or beer. For the health of people with diseases of the central nervous system, liver and blood vessels, even a minimal dose of alcohol is a serious threat. Also at risk are pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Vodka VS Beer
So, in the right corner of the ring is the most popular product in Russia - vodka, and it is opposed by the drink, revered throughout the globe - beer. The first criterion for comparison is the benefit of the drink. In this aspect, beer wins, as vodka has a high concentration of ethanol. With systematic use, control over the drunk is lost. Stopping in a vodka feast is unlikely to succeed. In terms of caloric content, beer also remains in the lead, since there are almost 6 times more calories in vodka: 240 versus 40. True, while they drink beer at times more. In addition, when finding out whether beer or vodka is more harmful to the liver, we must mention that the hop-based drink contains lipoprotein that cleanses blood vessels. Vodka does not bear such benefits . Thus, on these three points, beer is much healthier than vodka, since it does not harm the liver.
Oh, that taste!
Let's try to compare drinks by taste. So, which is more harmful - vodka, beer or wine? Vodka is harsh to its taste and in its pure form is therefore not always used. Most often, people bite after a glass, drink it, or even flavor the product with juice. But the beer with a thick cap of foam is ideal in the heat and tastes good. It gives a feeling of coolness and freshness, and in the cold it can lower the temperature of the body. It is better to drink alcohol in the winter, when it would be good to warm up and disperse the blood. In the heat, strong alcohol causes rapid intoxication and poor health. Wine is the golden mean between vodka and beer, as the taste is pleasant, it intoxicates gently and, at a reasonable dosage, does not cause significant harm to health. So what is more harmful - vodka or beer? Or wine? If you want to spend time in good company, it is better to choose a beer that will not let you get drunk and have fun. And for a feast for a serious reason, the actual choice will be wine with its aromas and taste.
In the yellow jersey of the leader
In all respects, we tried to determine what is more harmful - vodka or beer. We left reviews of alcohol lovers in the end, and therefore it is too early to award the first place to a foamy drink. Let's start with a fly in the ointment and recall the fact that the beer contains fusel oils, leading to pathologies of the liver and other organs. They can also provoke a burn of the mucous membrane and lead to gastritis and an ulcer. It turns out that with accuracy it will not be possible to determine the least harmful drink, since you have to focus on a specific human body. The rules of drinking are unbreakable. For example, strong alcohol should not be interfered with with beer, since this is a severe health blow, leading to intoxication and poisoning. There are certain libation rules that help prevent or mitigate the negative effect of a feast. In particular, before a meal you need to eat a piece of butter or drink a spoonful of vegetable. At night, it is recommended to ventilate the room well and refrain from smoking, so as not to aggravate the effect.
We conclude
So, what can we say, taking into account all of the above? What is more harmful for the stomach - beer or vodka? It has to be noted that the question was initially formulated incorrectly, since the right choice is determined by the nature of the holiday, the temperature in the street and the dosage. On a hot day, a bottle of beer can even be useful for the human body, but a glass of vodka will be a blow. But in winter, under a good piece of meat or a sandwich, vodka will invigorate and warm. The answer will be this: the harm and benefits received from the drink are determined by the amount drunk and its quality. A healthy person can well afford both beer and vodka, but in safe doses. Naturally, not daily alcohol libations are meant.
The quality of the drink is also an important factor. If you buy a bottle of vodka around the nearest corner, then you should not be surprised then that an alcohol lover is unwell. Beer can also overstay or deteriorate. You should be especially careful with the so-called living product, which at best is stored for a couple of days. Yes, such a beer is much tastier and even more useful than bottled, but this is under conditions of proper storage and timely use. Summarizing, it must be said that alcohol is not as terrible as it is painted, but it requires, first of all, respect for oneself. Then a glass of two or even three vodka or a glass of other beer will not affect health badly and will not spoil the holiday. So drink only quality drinks, in reasonable doses, for a good snack and in a pleasant company - and the problem of choice will be removed.