Association of Moderate Beer Consumption with the Gut Microbiota and SCFA of Healthy Adults

Abstract

Fermented alcoholic drinks’ contribution to the gut microbiota composition is mostly unknown. However, intestinal microorganisms can use compounds present in beer. This work explored the associations between moderate consumption of beer, microbiota composition, and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile. Seventy eight subjects were selected from a 261 healthy adult cohort on the basis of their alcohol consumption pattern. Two groups were compared: (1) abstainers or occasional consumption (ABS) (n = 44; <1.5 alcohol g/day), and (2) beer consumption ≥70% of total alcohol (BEER) (n = 34; 200 to 600 mL 5% vol. beer/day; <15 mL 13% vol. wine/day; <15 mL 40% vol. spirits/day). Gut microbiota composition (16S rRNA gene sequencing) and SCFA concentration were analyzed in fecal samples. No differences were found in α and β diversity between groups. The relative abundance of gut bacteria showed that Clostridiaceae was lower (p = 0.009), while Blautia and Pseudobutyrivibrio were higher (p = 0.044 and p = 0.037, respectively) in BEER versus ABS. In addition, Alkaliphilus, in men, showed lower abundance in BEER than in ABS (p = 0.025). Butyric acid was higher in BEER than in ABS (p = 0.032), and correlated with Pseudobutyrivibrio abundance. In conclusion, the changes observed in a few taxa, and the higher butyric acid concentration in consumers versus non-consumers of beer, suggest a potentially beneficial effect of moderate beer consumption on intestinal health.

The Role of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds on the Impact of Beer on Health

“…As β-diversity was observed only after 30 days of treatment, the authors hypothesized that the effect on gut microbiota could depend on polyphenols and phenolic acids [ 111 ]. Similar results were obtained in an observational study, especially for higher butyric acid concentration in consumers versus non-consumers of beer [ 122 ], but no estimation of phenols intake was performed, nor were consumption of alcohol-free beer nor spirits-only drinkers recorded. On the other hand, another observational study on the microbiota of 916 UK female twins found association only for wine drinkers but not for beer (nor all other alcohols) [ 123 ], but also in this case, the consumption of alcohol-free beer was not considered.…”

“…Non-alcoholic beer consumption also determines a positive modification of some parameters typical of metabolic syndrome such as glycemia and the β-cells’ function (AB1, drinkers of 355 mL/day of alcoholic beer; NAB, drinkers of 355 mL/day of non-alcoholic beer [ 111 ]). On the other hand, moderate beer consumption can increase the production of butyric acid, a fundamental molecule produced by the microbiota and useful for its healthy implications (AB2, drinkers of 200–600 mL/day; AO, abstainers or occasional consumers of <1.5 alcohol g/day [ 122 ]).…”

Moringa oleifera Leaf Supplementation as a Glycemic Control Strategy in Subjects with Prediabetes

“…Samples were immediately frozen at −20 °C and transported on the next day in refrigerated conditions to the study center where they were stored at −80 °C until analyses. Starting from 180–220 mg of each fecal sample, bacterial DNA was extracted using an optimized protocol as described in Gonzalez-Zancada et al [ 24 ]. DNA was finally recovered with the commercial QIAamp DNA Fast Stool Mini Kit (QIAGEN GmbH, Hilden, Germany), following the manufacturer’s instructions and quantified using Nanodrop ND-1000 spectrophotometer (NanoDrop Technologies, Wilmington, DE, USA).…”

The Association of Altered Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Integrity in Mice With Heroin Dependence

“…SCFAs are the primary products of microbial fermentation of undigested dietary carbohydrates especially acetate, propionate, and butyrate ( 24 ). Several reports highlighted the immunomodulatory capacities and the ability to strengthen epithelial barrier integrity ( 25 , 26 ).…”