This popular alcoholic drink is not so harmless as it is believed in cardiovascular health.
Beer lovers may have already asked themselves the question by drinking their “foam”: can their unconditional taste for this alcoholic drink make the figures of blood cholesterol swell? While an excess of cholesterol (bad cholesterol, or LDL-cholesterol) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, one can wonder.
In reality, drinking beer does not give cholesterol strictly speaking, but its consumption has indirect repercussions on it. Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist in Paris, explains this domino effect: “Beer has no direct impact on cholesterol. On the other hand, beer, like any other alcohol, brings a significant calorie intake that unbalances blood sugar, blood sugar level. The rise in blood sugar goes have the effect of encouraging the pancreas to produce insulin. However, as we know, the overweight is associated with different cardiovascular complications: that of developing type 2 diabetes, suffering from dyslipidemia (an abnormal concentration of blood lipids like triglycerides and bad cholesterol), but also Present a metabolic syndrome (high size tower). In other words, drinking too much beer makes us fat. And it is this weight gain that undermines our hearts by exposing us to a set of cardiovascular risks as an increase in cholesterol.
There is another reason to consider beer as an enemy of our cholesterol. Drinking too much alcohol night at the functioning of the liver, which manufactures blood cholesterol (not brought by food) and regulates cholesterol levels. However, in the event of excessive alcohol consumption, the liver, too busy metabolizing the ethanol contained in alcohol, ends up exhausting. “In the event of liver dysfunction, under the effect of an excess of alcohol, the liver will struggle to regulate cholesterol levels and this can result in a too high level of bad cholesterol”specifies Alexandra Murcier. However, a high rate of cholesterol promotes the deposit of fats on the arteries (atheroma), the accumulation of fats in liver cells (of the liver) at risk of liver steatosis, better known as “foie gras disease.”
Alexandra Murcier recommends “Not to go beyond 5 glasses per week, or 5 half pints (a pint is equivalent to two glasses of alcohol, editor’s note) “. In case of cholesterol, if you are overweight, weight loss is recommended to normalize blood cholesterol levels. It is also advisable to play on food by reducing foods rich in cholesterol and especially saturated fatty acids (red meat, cold meats, pastries, pastries, butter, cheese, crème fraîche …).
Thanks to Alexandra Murcier Dietician-Nutritionist in Paris.
