What does moderate drinking mean?
Skovenborg: “Moderate drinking means, in the first instance, drinking within the limits of your own health, always taking into account your family and friends. The commonly used definition: one to two units (one unit corresponding to 12 g alcohol) per day for most women and one to three units for most men. Anyone opting for beer with a low alcohol content can drink more. It is also important to know that a whole bottle of wine is equivalent to six glasses of beer.”

Why are the recommended limits different for men and women?
Skovenborg: “Women are more sensitive than men to alcohol for different reasons. In the first place, because women are usually smaller than men. Secondly, women have relatively more fat per kilo body weight than men, which means a more rapid increase of the concentration of alcohol in the blood. Men metabolize alcohol better than women. Alcohol passes faster through womens’ livers than through mens’, so the concentration in the blood is relatively higher”

Can pregnant women drink beer?
Skovenborg: “One glass of beer a day accompanying a meal has never been found to have any negative effect n the foetus. The same can be said for the breast-feeding period: one glass of beer a day won’t hurt.”

Many older people enjoy the occasional beer. What is your view of the matter?
Skovenborg: “Beer certainly has its qualities for older persons. Moderate consumption of beer improves the appetite, aids digestion and, what is more, reduced the risk of stomach ulcers caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. It has also been demonstrated that one glass of beer with the evening meal improves the atmosphere and social contacts among elderly persons living in rest homes. People who drink beer (or wine) on a regular basis also appear to be less sensitive to the development of dementia. Moderate consumption of alcohol also seems to reduce the risk of old-age diabetes”

Is red wine better for the health than beer?
Skovenborg: “Recent research indicates that the various health effects of beer and wine issue from other lifestyle factors. In many countries, beer drinkers appear to have less healthy living habits than wine drinkers. That explains why wine drinkers often score better than beer drinkers as regards health. The fact that people who choose red wine rather than beer appear more healthy therefore has nothing to do with their choice of this or that type of drink, but rather with other aspects of their lifestyle. The beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption seem mainly due to ethanol. Beer therefore has just as positive an effect as wine on heart function. Moderate beer consumption reduces the number of deaths by heart attacks and strokes by approximately a third.”

Can a glass of beer be used as a sedative?
Skovenborg: “Beer can safely be regarded as a natural mild tranquillizer that helps you to relax after a stressful day. A glass of beer can also be useful as a nightcap to help you to sleep. Unlike sleeping pills beer is a safe sedative, on condition that consumption remains moderate.”

Is it true that beer helps to prevent gallstones and kidney stones?
Skovenborg: “Studies have shown that a moderate beer consumption significantly reduces the risk of gallstones and kidney stones.”

Is beer fattening?
Skovenberg: “There’s no certain answer to that question at present. We may assume that drinking beer, in moderation and at meal times, does not lead to weight problems.”

Should some people not drink beer at all?
Skovenberg: “Persons with an alcohol problem, persons dependent on alcoholic drink, should avoid all forms of alcohol. Persons with stomach, liver or pancreas problems should also not drink alcohol. Also, alcohol should never be consumed in combination with potentially addictive medicine, such as tranquillizers, sleeping pills, barbiturates and narcotics.”

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