Beer and society

Various social traditions and activities are associated with beer drinking, such as playing cards, darts, or other pub games; attending beer festivals, or visiting a series of different pubs in one evening; joining an organisation such as CAMRA; or rating beer.[146] Various drinking games, such as beer pong, are also popular.[147]
Beer is considered to be a social lubricant in many societies,[148] and is consumed in countries all over the world. There are breweries in Middle Eastern countries such as Iran, and Syria, as well as African countries. Sales of beer are four times that of wine, the second most popular alcoholic beverage.[149][150] In Russia, consumption is on the rise as younger generations are choosing beer over vodka.[151] In most societies, beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage.
Health effects
The main active ingredient of beer is alcohol, and therefore, the health effects of alcohol apply to beer. The moderate consumption of alcohol, including beer, is associated with a decreased risk of cardiac disease, stroke and cognitive decline.[152][153][154][155] The long-term effects of alcohol abuse, however, include the risk of developing alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease.

Overview of possible long-term effects of ethanol. Click to enlarge.
Brewer's yeast is known to be a rich source of nutrients; therefore, as expected, beer can contain significant amounts of nutrients, including magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, and B vitamins. In fact, beer is sometimes referred to as "liquid bread".[156] Some sources maintain that filtered beer loses much of its nutrition.[157][158]
A 2005 Japanese study found that low alcohol beer may possess strong anti-cancer properties.[159] Another study found nonalcoholic beer to mirror the cardiovascular benefits associated with moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages.[160] However, much research suggests that the primary health benefit from alcoholic beverages comes from the alcohol they contain.[161]
It is considered that overeating and lack of muscle tone is the main cause of a beer belly, rather than beer consumption. A recent study, however, found a link between binge drinking and a beer belly. But with most overconsumption, it is more a problem of improper exercise and overconsumption of carbohydrates than the product itself.[162] Several diet books quote beer as having an undesirably high glycemic index of 110, the same as maltose; however, the maltose in beer undergoes metabolism by yeast during fermentation so that beer consists mostly of water, hop oils and only trace amounts of sugars, including maltose.