If the changing leaves and cooler weather give you the urge to hunker down in a beer garden with a cold glass in hand, it’s little wonder. The end of summer also heralds the start of IPA season — when hops, the key ingredient in India pale ales, is harvested.
’Tis also the season of harvest-themed libations, when bars and alcohol aisles alike are filled to the brim with pumpkin-inspired beverages. But while we’re all for hailing the health benefits of seasonal fall produce, do our favorite fall beers have any advantages over other beers, as some have claimed? Here’s what to know.
What is an IPA?
Angel Planells, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, explains that there are two main categories of beer: ales and lagers. Ales, including pale ales, “use a top-fermenting yeast, which ferments the beer at warmer temperatures, resulting in complex flavor.”
As CNN explains, India pale ales, or IPAs, came about during the 19th century when a brewer named George Hodgson created a beer utilizing lots of hops — which come from the flower of the Humulus lupulus plant and give beer its bitterness, aroma and flavor. Because hops were more abundant and cheaper in the fall, the beer style was originally known as “October Beer” and considered a “stronger, hoppier and more bitter cousin of the regular pale ale.” Hodgson — and eventually his competitors — shipped the beer regularly to British patrons in India, so it finally came to be known as India pale ale.
Some beer ingredients might be OK for you…
Amy Goodson, a registered dietitian, tells Yahoo Life that the hops in IPAs contain antioxidants like flavonoids, which reduce inflammation — though the amounts in a typical IPA serving “are not substantial.”
Craft beers, which tend to be made in smaller batches by smaller breweries, may also “use higher-quality ingredients and have fewer additives or preservatives than mass-produced beers,” Goodson notes.
Like other beers, Planells says, IPAs contain B vitamins like niacin, folate and riboflavin, which increase energy, red blood cell production and anemia prevention.
…but the benefits are completely outweighed by the unhealthiness of the alcohol
So can IPAs be a healthy indulgence? “In a word, or three words: no, no and no,” Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, tells Yahoo Life.
Stockwell points to other alcoholic beverages like Guinness (which also contains some B vitamins, including folate) and red wine (which is made from antioxidant-rich red grapes) that have also been touted as “good for you.” Any claims that these alcoholic beverages can be healthy have since been debunked because the negative effects of consuming alcohol — including increased risk of high blood pressure, liver disease and certain cancers — outweigh any perks that those other nutritious ingredients might have.
“There are no health benefits to IPAs,” Michelle Jaelin, a registered dietitian, tells Yahoo Life. “This is because the health risks associated with drinking any alcohol, including specialty and craft beers, will always outweigh any minimal health benefit.”
For a while, conventional wisdom held that drinking in moderation could be beneficial for your health, but numerous studies have discredited that myth.
In the case of IPAs, Planells says they typically have higher ABV (alcohol by volume) — so you’re consuming more alcohol with an IPA than you would with many other brews. The higher alcohol content also means that IPAs tend to have more calories and carbohydrates, which can lead to weight gain.
But what about all those pumpkin ingredients?
And sorry — pumpkin-themed ales and IPAs have no nutritional value either.
“While pumpkins themselves are nutritious, containing vitamins like A and C, fiber and antioxidants, these benefits do not translate to pumpkin ales,” Goodson tells Yahoo Life. “Most pumpkin ales contain only small amounts of actual pumpkin, with much of the flavor coming from spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. The nutritional benefits of pumpkin (such as fiber and vitamins) are not present in meaningful amounts.”
In fact, Roxana Ehsani, a registered dietitian, adds that most pumpkin ales have extra ingredients that make them even unhealthier than other beers.
“Pumpkin ales actually may have more added sugars or syrups compared to other beers — and some varieties may have no pumpkin in it at all,” Ehsani tells Yahoo Life.
And no — that adult beverage will not warm you up
In addition to the seasonal ingredients, IPA culture gets an extra boost in the fall because chillier temperatures encourage us to indulge in a beverage that will warm us up from the inside out. But experts say that’s another myth that needs busting.
As George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, previously told Yahoo Life: “Alcohol causes blood vessels in the skin to dilate, causing an illusion of warmth while the core body temperature actually drops.”
Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, added: “Certainly, intoxication can make you feel more euphoric, so you might forget that you’re cold or have it not bother you as much. But it will not warm you up.”
Here’s how to enjoy your favorite fall-themed libation responsibly
The World Health Organization says that no amount of alcohol is good for your health. But if you’re going to drink, do so in moderation — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as up to one beverage a day for women and up to two per day for men.
Even a small reduction in alcohol intake can be good for your health, so if you’re ready to cut back, check out these tips from experts — including putting “barriers” in place, setting limits on when you can indulge and exploring alcohol-free beer options.
Have you successfully cut back on your drinking? We want to hear what worked. Please share your best tips and takeaways here, and they may be used in a future article. Submissions close on Nov. 12.
