Organic Beers & Wine | Are They a Healthy Alternative?

So I’ve had a few people interested in knowing more about organic beers and organic wines, basically wanting to know if they are healthy and ok to drink.

I know some people out there believe all alcohol is poison, that it’s bad, don’t do it. But then there’s lots of research saying a little bit of alcohol – like a glass of wine or beer, can actually be quite healthy. To say all alcohol is good or bad is quite a generalisation, so I want to share my point of view on what is available.

I think on certain occasions a glass or two of organic, preservative free wine or beer can have its place. For thousands of years different cultures have based themselves around getting together and socialising. And often having fermented drinks like wines and beers were a part of that. I believe it creates a social connection and it can be a joyous and fun thing. Just as long as it’s done consciously.

Distilled Alcohol for Cleaning or for Drinking?

My father has the philosophy that distilled alcohol, like vodka, was designed and used for cleaning the body. In the past it would be used to instantly clean the skin and wounds.

Distilled alcohol is very hot in its nature. And anytime you put something hot in your mouth or down your throat, you tend to have a reaction. Just think about smoking a cigarette, you naturally want to cough. The same thing happens with distilled alcohol, there’s a burning sensation in your throat. Anytime you try something and get that kind of reaction, it’s a good indication that it’s probably not a good thing.

I would definitely not recommend drinking straight alcohol! In fact, I would say it’s quite toxic, it’s tough on the liver and it’s probably not something you want to be doing regularly.

I often get asked about diluting hard alcohol with a mixer. I think if you can dilute it with some fresh squeezed orange juice (or any fresh squeezed juice) to really radically reduce the concentration of alcohol (say 1:6 ratio) that’s the best option. I’d rather have you that, than having 3 straight shots!

However, I prefer to use my vodka in the same way that the ancients did – for skin cleaning like in the process of guasha.

Benefits of The Odd Glass of Wine or Beer

I would agree, for the most part, that fermented drinks like wine or beer can be ok in moderation, especially if they’re organic. If you look at beer, there’s a lot of B vitamins and even fermented bacteria cultures in it that can actually improve digestion, to a degree.

With wine, there is a level of antioxidants from the grapes that research has shown to be beneficial. For example, there has been loads of research on resveratrol and its capacity to be anti-ageing on the body.

What to Look for on the Label

However, even more important than organic, is making sure there are no chemical preservatives added to whatever beer or wine you are choosing. Be aware that organic wine may have added preservatives like sodium sulphides. These are known carcinogens that, amongst other things, can cause damage the liver, which is obviously something we want to avoid!

Organic wine and beer isn’t so hard to buy these days but to find one that is organic AND preservative free takes a little more work.

When it comes to beer, look for one that is labelled ‘preservative free’. I recommend looking for German beers. In Germany they have a law that they can only use 3 or 4 ingredients. So that would be yeast, hops, malt and… maybe water!! Another tip is to add a lot of lemon, like literally half or a even whole lemon squeezed into a nice sized beer. If you’ve ever seen me and my dad have a beer before, you’ll have noticed that we put a lot of lemons in it. I think it makes the beer taste fantastic!

Preservative free wine is a little harder to find. However, there are a few reports claiming that you can add a powder like SO2GO or drops like Pure Wine Drops, to your wine to reduce the sodium sulfide content. I don’t have personal experience with these but there seems to be a bit of research around it. So if you’re going to drink wine then it would definitely be worth your while to take a look into them for yourself.

Everything in Moderation

You know, personally at one point of my life I probably had two or three beers every single night to relax. But I just found it wasn’t the best thing for me, so I gave up that habit years ago.

Nowadays, if there is a gathering of family and friends for some sort of occasion, I will have a couple of beers that are preservative free, preferably organic, and add some lemons.

I definitely believe it’s still okay to have a good time. In fact, getting out, socialising and having fun is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. So my advice is to keep on eating whole foods, getting some sunshine, going for long walks, drinking plenty of clean water and not being too caught up about having an occasional drink.

Cheers 😉

Thanks for reading!