The growing popularity of “low‐carb” beers: good marketing or community health risk?

Health halo or genuine product development: Are better‐for‐you alcohol products actually healthier?

“…Our findings are consistent with previous research, [4][5][6]21 which has suggested that manufacturers seek to allay consumer concerns about alcoholic products by re-focusing attention on other, less significant nutritional aspects of the products, such as the carbohydrate or sugar content or the absence of artificial ingredients and preservatives. For example, previous research has shown that beer marketed as "lowcarb" has only slightly fewer kilojoules than other beer products, that most standard beers are already relatively low in carbohydrates and that it is the alcohol, not carbohydrates, in these products that contribute to the high kilojoule load.…”

“…In two small Australian studies of the nutrient content of beer products promoted as low in carbohydrates, beer marketed as low-carbohydrate was found to be no healthier than standard beer based on the energy, carbohydrate and alcohol content, and the researchers cautioned that the marketing of these products as low-carbohydrate may give a false impression to consumers about the product's healthfulness. 5,6 An Australian study of non-alcoholic beverages found that a large proportion of beverages promoted as better-for-you contained high amounts of sugar (average of 8.3 g/100 mL), comparable to soft drink (~10 g/100 mL). 7 Given the paucity of research evaluating the nutritional claims of these products, the aim of this study was to examine the healthfulness of alcoholic products promoted as better-for-you across the major alcohol product categories available in the Australian market, with a particular focus on the alcohol content of these products.…”

Proliferation of ‘healthy’ alcohol products in Australia: implications for policy

“…6,18 In the alcohol sector, "low carb" beers may pose a health risk due to the potential for consumers to believe that their use is associated with a health benefit, and fewer health risks, and to consume more. 7 This 'halo effect' may also discourage consumers from seeking further information about a product. 18 Therefore, there could be significant implications for the way consumers view alcohol products marketed as healthier or better for you, particularly among younger populations, who appear to have a greater proportion of health-conscious consumers compared with other age groups.…”

“…6 A small Australian study suggested that "low carb" labelling of beer products may be associated with increased perceived healthfulness of beer among consumers. 7 In this paper, we examine how the alcohol industry has responded to the perceived increase in health consciousness among consumers, consider policy implications and provide recommendations to address supposedly healthier alcohol products. We collected examples of new product developments and monitored alcohol industry publications for information on key trends and comments from alcohol company executives; these form the basis of our assessment of the industry response.…”

Lower‐alcohol, lower‐calorie wines: harm reduction or harm production?

“…T o the Editor: We have previously argued that the recent rapid increase in the popularity of low‐carbohydrate (“low‐carb”) beers, in Australia and other countries, is more a community health risk than a healthy alternative to traditional beers 1 . This contention has since been supported by a survey conducted by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), which found that “low carbohydrate beer drinkers mistakenly believe these beverages are a healthier choice than other varieties” 2 .…”