Zero and low-alcohol drinks: what you need to know
Recent data from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) shows that alcohol consumption fell by 4.5% last year, continuing a welcome downward trend.
Sales of booze-free and low alcohol — dubbed NoLo — beers and wines are booming as more of us make the switch to seemingly healthier drink choices.
According to the Irish Beer Market Report, the demand for non-alcoholic beer alone grew by 18% in 2023-2024.
The move to reduce alcohol intake is good news for our long-term health.
But experts are questioning whether the NoLo market is as worthy as its manufacturers claim.
'Industry data shows that low- and no-alcohol drinks represent only about 1% of the market,' says Sheila Gilheany, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland.
'They are portrayed as a public health solution to excessive alcohol consumption, but the World Health Organization has significant concerns over the marketing of the products and says that reduced or no-alcohol drinks don't deserve a health halo.'
Others suggest that they are no better for us than conventional soft drinks, with many NoLo products being relatively high in sugar.
Scientists from the US, Germany, and Spain recently warned that consuming just two small bottles of some low- or no-alcohol beers a day is enough to raise blood sugar levels and the long-term risk of type II diabetes and obesity.
'Non-alcoholic beers are gaining popularity as alternatives to alcoholic beverages, yet their metabolic and health effects, compared to no consumption of these drinks, remain unclear,' they reported in the Nutrients journal [https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/10/1625].
For the study, the international research team asked a group of 44 healthy young men to drink either two 330ml bottles of alcohol-free beer or water every day for four weeks. During the trial, the team conducted regular blood tests and other assessments to check for changes in glucose and lipid metabolism, liver enzymes, body composition, and the composition of the men's gut microbiome.
The results showed that, compared to water, alcohol-free wheat beers and 'mixed beers' — a variety typically flavoured with soda — had 'an unfavourable metabolic impact on glucose and fat', which the team said was 'probably due to the caloric and sugar content' of the drinks.
Lighter Pilsner-type, low-alcohol beers with a maximum 0.5% ABV, had a much less damaging impact.
Pure alcohol contains around seven calories per gram — almost as many as fat — or about 56 calories per unit. Non-alcoholic drinks with an ABV of 0.5% or lower typically contain fewer calories than regular versions of the same drink, but they are not necessarily low-sugar or low-calorie options.
In many cases, sugar is added to enhance flavour and palatability, significantly increasing the sugar content per bottle or glass.
The Government recommends that adults limit their intake of added sugars to no more than 30g per day. Over one third of that upper limit would be reached with one 330ml bottle of Erdinger Alkoholfrei zero-alcohol beer, which contains about 11g of sugar.
'These drinks could be substitutes for some other soft drinks or consumed in addition to them, but they are an alternative not a better choice,' Gilheany says.
'Low- and no-alcohol drinks are not suitable for children or for adults in alcohol recovery, as they simulate the taste and flavour of alcohol.'
Yet many of us can't get enough of low- or no-alcohol beers and wines.
Here's what you get per glass or bottle in some of the popular NoLo products:
GUINNESS ZERO 440ml can
Guinness Zero
Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;
Sugar: 0.7g per 100ml; 3.1g per can;
Calories: 17 per 100ml; 75 per can.
CARLSBERG ALCOHOL FREE 330ml bottle
Carlsberg Alcohol Free
Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;
Sugar: Less than 0.5g per 100ml; 1.5g per bottle;
Calories: 19 per 100ml; 63 per bottle.
BROOKLYN SPECIAL EFFECTS 330ml bottle
Brooklyn Special Effects
Alcohol content: 0.4% ABV;
Sugar: 2.9g per 100ml; 9.5g per bottle;
Calories: 29 per 100ml; 95 per bottle.
LUCKY SAINT LAGER 330ml bottle
Lucky Saint Lager
Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 0.1g per 100ml; 0.33g per bottle;
Calories: 16 per 100ml; 53 per bottle.
UNLTD IPA 330ml bottle
UNLTD IPA
Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 0.1g per 100ml; 0.33g per bottle;
Calories: Four per 100ml; 13.2 per bottle.
PERONI NASTRO AZZURO 330ml bottle
Peroni Nastro Azzurro
Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;
Sugar: 0.8g per 100ml; 2.64g per bottle;
Calories: 23 per 100ml; 75 per bottle.
HEINEKEN 0 330ml bottle
Heineken Zero
Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;
Sugar: 1.3g per 100ml; 4.29g per bottle;
Calories: 21 per 100ml; 70 per bottle.
BREWDOG NANNY STATE 330ml bottle
Brewdog Nanny State
Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 0.4g per 100ml; 1.32g per bottle;
Calories: 6.0 per 100ml; 19.9 per bottle.
BECKS BLUE 275ml bottle
Becks Blue
Alcohol content: 0.05% ABV;
Sugar: 0.2g per 100ml; 0.6g per bottle;
Calories: 14 per 100ml; 39 per bottle.;
ERDINGER ALKOHOLFREI 330ml bottle
Erdinger Alkoholfrei
Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV
Sugar: 3.6 per 100g; 11.9 per bottle;
Calories: 25 per 100ml; 82 per bottle.
DAYS LAGER 0% 330ml bottle
Days Lager 0%
Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;
Sugar: 2.5g per 100ml; 8.25g per bottle;
Calories: 22 per 100ml; 25.3 per bottle.
PROPER JOB IPA 440ml can
Proper Job IPA
Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 1.4g per 100ml; 4.62g per can;
Calories: 22 per 100ml; 72.6 per can.
ZEROZECCO SPARKLING WHITE WINE 750ml bottle
Zerozecco Sparkling White
Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 5.7g per bottle; 0.76g per 100ml; 1.33g per 175ml glass;
Calories: 25 per 100ml; 43 per 125ml glass.
NOUGHTY BLANC 750ml bottle
Noughty Blanc
Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 2.1g per 100ml; 3.6g per 175ml glass;
Calories: 17 per 100ml; 30 per 175ml glass.
BIG DROP CITRIA IPA 330ml can
Big Drop Citria IPA
Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: Less than 0.5g per 100ml; 1.65 per can;
Calories: 18.5 per 100ml; 61 per can.
NOZECO 750ml bottle
Nozeco
Alcohol content: 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 5g per 100ml; 8.75g per 175ml glass;
Calories: 20 per 100ml; 35 per 175ml glass.
FREIXENET PRESECCO 750ml bottle
Freixenet Presecco
Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 5g per 100ml; 8.75g per 175ml glass;
Calories: 20 per 100ml; 35 per 175ml glass.
MCGUIGAN ZERO SAVIGNON BLANC 750ml bottle
McGuigan Zero Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol content: Less than 0.5% ABV;
Sugar: 4.2g per 100ml; 7.4g per 175ml glass;
Calories: 24 per 100ml; 42 per 175ml glass.
WEDNESDAY'S DOMAINE SPARKLING CUVEE 750ml bottle
Wednesday's Domaine Sparkling Cuvée
Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;
Sugar: 2.7g per 100ml; 4.7g per 175ml;
Calories: 10.9 per 100ml; 19 per 125ml.
MCGUIGAN ZERO SHIRAZ 750ml bottle
McGuigan Zero Shiraz
Alcohol content: 0.0% ABV;
Sugar: 4.5g per 100ml; 7.8g per 175ml glass;
Calories: 29 per 100ml; 50.7 per 175ml glass.
Industry data shows that low and no-alcohol drinks represent only about 1% of the market
See: Alcoholireland.ie
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