Are non-alcoholic beer and wine healthier?

Pliable drinks used to be the butt of jokes. Now they are the fastest growing sector of the alcohol market. Sales of beer, wine and non-alcoholic liqueurs increased by 32 percent from 2022 to 2023, while overall alcohol sales increased by just 1 percent. In early 2024, best selling beer at Whole Foods did not contain alcohol.

This boost is likely due to increasing awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol on health and growing interest in sobriety and moderation. One of the latest studies found that health awareness, curiosity, and a desire to avoid the negative effects of alcohol (such as a hangover) are among the top reasons for drinking gentle drinks. There are many other — and better — non-alcoholic options on the market.

So how much healthier are gentle drinks (or “NAs”) than the real thing? Are they protected for everyone? And do they contain other ingredients people should watch out for?

What is a “gentle drink”?

To be considered non-alcoholic, a drink must contain less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Traditionally, brands operate methods like filtration or distillation to remove the alcohol from their products. Newer techniques change the fermentation process so the sugar in the drink doesn’t turn into alcohol. Other drinks marketed as alcohol alternatives don’t try to imitate beer, wine or liqueur and are made from juice or plants.

The main harmful ingredient in alcoholic beverages—the one that damages the liver and contributes to cancer—is alcohol. So when it is almost completely removed, the health risks associated with alcohol virtually disappear.

“From a health perspective, very diminutive amounts of alcohol in a drink probably don’t make a huge difference,” said John Holmes, professor of alcohol policy at the University of Sheffield in England.

It’s possible you could consume a significant amount of alcohol by drinking NA beverages, “but it would be a lot of work,” said Dr. Tim Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Operate Research at the University of Victoria. “You’d have to drink 20 cans of 0.5 percent ABV beer to even have two drinks a day.”

But experts warn that a drink with less than 0.5 percent alcohol can still cause problems in some cases. For people with alcohol operate disorders, replacing it with nonalcoholic beer, wine or liqueur can support them cut back or stop drinking altogether, said Molly Bowdring, a postdoctoral fellow in clinical psychology from Stanford University. But these drinks can also serve as a trigger for relapse.

“They’re so similar in taste and aroma,” she said. “It can be a helpful substitute, but it also has all those cues that can trigger cravings.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has not made a specific comment on gentle drinks for pregnant women, but her website states: “There is no protected amount or type of alcohol to drink during pregnancy.”

For people with other conditions that may be negatively affected by alcohol, such as liver disease, experts recommend consulting a doctor about whether non-alcoholic beverages are allowed.

Alcoholic alternatives made from juice or plants do not raise concerns about alcohol content, but they may contain other problematic ingredients, so it is essential to read labels carefully. For example, some drinks contain CBD or THC or plants such as ashwagandha, which has been merged with liver damage and may be harmful during pregnancy.

Can they improve your health?

The data suggests that over 80 percent people who buy non-alcoholic beverages also buy alcoholic beverages. And as of 2022, NA products made up less than 1 percent of total alcohol sales. But if people replace some of their beer, wine, or liquor with non-alcoholic versions, that can have a positive health impact.

“The more you drink, the more any reduction will be beneficial to you,” Dr. Holmes said. “So if you have 10 drinks a week, cutting back to nine will still be beneficial to your health.”

According to test Dr Bowdring’s research found that about half of people who drank gentle drinks said they drank less alcohol because of them.

Not everyone is convinced that people are replacing gentle drinks with alcoholic beverages: Dr. Naimi said people can drink them in addition to the alcohol they already consume. “The effect of gentle drinks or low-alcohol drinks may be to replace the consumption of alcoholic beverages,” he said. Or “it may be to replace the consumption of soda or seltzer water.”

That reflects what Athletic Brewing Company, a leading non-alcoholic beer brand, is seeing in many of its customers. “People used to drink maybe on Friday and Saturday nights,” now they drink non-alcoholic beer “every night of the week with dinner,” said Bill Shufelt, co-founder and CEO of the company.

Experts stressed that there is no evidence that such action is harmful — but the question arises as to whether these drinks will have a positive impact on public health.

“The evolution of the category is intriguing,” Dr. Naimi said. “But what really matters is the focus on the prize, how it affects overall alcohol sales. And I think that’s the million-dollar question.”