Can Beer Help With Constipation?

Beer is definitely NOT the go-to solution if you want to get rid of constipation. When we think about having a beer, we think about a hot summer day, a party with friends, or a football game. Beer is a drink to enjoy with friends or on the porch on a hot summer day.

It’s not something we use as a relief for constipation or for gout, or anything else. It’s not something we drink to help our bowel movements, right?

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According to many scientific sources and data, beer can help you with constipation. It may not be the ideal solution, but it can help “things move” and make you feel better. But how? And why? Can beer help with constipation? Is beer good for constipation? Let’s try to answer these questions in this guide.

So, You Feel Constipated… But What Is Constipation?

Beer does help with constipation, but first, let’s talk about constipation. What is it? Sorry, but we’ll have to deal with this delicate topic.

If you feel constipated, you are definitely not alone. Constipation is the most frequent gastrointestinal complaint in the United States. Over 2.5 million Americans go to their healthcare provider yearly because they feel constipated. 

Constipation is diagnosed when a person has three (or fewer) bowel movements per week. Although how often you poop varies from person to person, major variations in bowel movements should be dealt with with caution. If you go below three movements per week, you are likely constipated and should contact a healthcare professional.

What Are The Symptoms Of Constipation?

No matter how often you poop or have bowel movements, a fact is certain – the longer you go without pooping, the harder it will become. There are other symptoms associated with constipation, like:

• the stools are harder, lumpier, and drier than usual
• the stools are often smaller than usual
• the bowel movements are painful, and stools are quite difficult to pass
• you feel full or feel like not all stool has passed
• your belly feels bloated or nauseous, even after a bowel movement
• you have stomachache, cramps, or a general sensation of fullness

What Causes Constipation?

Constipation occurs when the large intestine (the colon) absorbs too much water from your poop as it moves along. This process dries up the poop, making it harder to push out of your body. 

Common causes of constipation include:

• not eating enough fiber
• not drinking enough water or liquids (dehydration)
• not getting enough exercise
• changes in daily routine (not enough sleep, too much sleep, feeling stressful, traveling, or eating different types of foods)
• consuming large amounts of dairy products, like cheese or milk

Note – please get in touch with your healthcare provider if you feel constipated for more than a week and don’t see an improvement. Although most cases go away with simple medication and lifestyle changes, it can cause serious complications.

How Can Beer Help With Constipation?

FIBER – that’s the key ingredient in beer that makes it a natural remedy for constipation. Consuming adequate quantities of natural fiber can help you avoid and relieve the symptoms of constipation. And beer has fiber, especially unfiltered beer. 

Beer Acts As A Natural Laxative 

Few people actually think beer can act as a natural laxative, but it does. This is because beer naturally has fiber from its main ingredient, barley. 

On average, lager beer has 0.75 grams of fiber per 12-ounce bottle, while dark, unfiltered beer has 1.3 to 2 grams of fiber per bottle. According to data published in a study by the University of London, beer is a rich source of fiber – two glasses of beer can provide 10 to 30 percent of the daily recommended amount of dietary fiber. The same study showed that beer fiber increases the production of bile, which helps our liver digest fatty foods, further reducing the risk of constipation. 

Quick fact: It is estimated that 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men in the United States do not eat the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber (according to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture from 2020). Similarly, people in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand don’t eat the recommended amounts of dietary fiber.

Beer As A Source Of Fiber

Beer has a lot of vitamins, minerals (sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulfates and sulfites, selenium, or potassium), antioxidants, phenolic acids, microorganisms (yeasts), but also soluble fibers. We’ll talk about the fibers and how they interact with our gut microorganisms.

Data shows that low to moderate beer consumption helps the growth of good, healthy gut microorganisms. Four main components help gut microbes – polyphenols, fiber, melanoidins, and other microorganisms. Unpasteurized beers have more helpful microorganisms because they are not killed during pasteurization. 

The fibers in beer are non-starchy, non-digestible carbs (like β-glucans, mannose, fructose polymers, arabinoxylans, xyloglucans, mannans, glucomannans, and inulin-type fructooligosaccharides). All of them act as nutrients for the gut microbes, especially through fermentation. Essentially, beer acts like food for your gut microbes, reducing the effect of constipation. 

Beer typically has a dietary fiber content of 2 grams per liter, with the largest constituents being arabinoxylans and β-glucans. Dietary fibers occur in beer as a complex ingredient, together with carbohydrates (about 90 percent), indigestible protein (6 to 8 percent), and polyphenolic compounds (3 to 4 percent).

Beers also have other compounds often associated with dietary fibers, like melanoidins (they have an extremely low digestibility, similar to fibers). Melanoidins also act as powerful antioxidants and antibacterial agents. 

Because of its numerous nutrients, antioxidants, probiotics, and dietary fibers, beer has often been named a functional food. Beer has a positive influence on the human gut microbiota, helping fight constipation symptoms. Some brewers even fortify their beers with additional fibers, antioxidants, and probiotics to further enhance their beneficial properties.

Quick fact: You will notice that beer is almost always presented as having no dietary fiber. You won’t find it mentioned on labels because dietary fibers are determined only in plant foods and are not applicable to beverages. Because of this, international food composition tables and labels report zero dietary fiber content in beers (and all other beverages).

Quick fact: A study done in Spain shows that drinking 150 ml of beer per day accounts for 1.6 to 5 percent of the total dietary fiber recommended intake for an adult.

Beer And Its Benefits On Your Digestive System

While fiber is a major ingredient that helps fight constipation, beer also has alcohol. Like all other alcoholic beverages, beer has a laxative effect on the body. When drinking beer, your muscles in the digestive system will relax, facilitating bowel movements. Simply put, as your digestive muscles relax, the waste moves through the intestines more easily. Also, beer is carbonated, which can also help your bowel movements – bubbles have been shown to help fight constipation. 

Drinking Too Much Beer Can Be Bad

Excessive beer consumption can have negative effects on your digestive system. An excessive amount of alcohol can irritate and damage the lining of the stomach and the intestines. This may lead to discomfort and inflammation. In severe cases, it can evolve into serious symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and severe nausea. Too much beer can also raise the acid levels in your stomach, which may cause heartburn and acid reflux.

Which Are The Best Beers To Fight Constipation?

As mentioned above, unfiltered and dark beers have more fiber and nutrients that help your gut microorganisms. For instance, filtered lagers have 0.75 grams of fiber per bottle, while dark beers, like stouts and porters, or unfiltered beers have 2 to 3 grams of fiber per bottle. 

Also, beers with a lower alcohol content are better against constipation, as they don’t dehydrate your body and the stool. Stick to lower-alcohol beers if you often feel constipated.

Can Beer Be A Long-term Solution For Constipation?

While beer does help against constipation, it should not be used as a long-term solution. It’s only a temporary and limited relief for constipation. In fact, drinking excessive amounts of beer to fight constipation can bring numerous negative effects, like destroying your intestines. If you suffer from chronic constipation (several weeks or more of feeling constipated), contact your healthcare provider to get help. 

Wrapping It Up

Beer has numerous ingredients that help your gut microbiota. Some of them, like fiber, can help you when you are constipated. However, beer has small amounts of fiber, and you should not get all the recommended dietary fiber intake from beer. Drinking beer can help you fight constipation, but it’s definitely not a long-term solution. In fact, having too much beer can be detrimental to your health and can even accentuate the constipation symptoms (excessive alcohol leads to dehydration).

Make sure you have a diverse and complete nutrition plan with adequate fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Also, drink plenty of fluids, especially water, to avoid feeling constipated. Beer does help, but don’t overdo it!