MICROAL - Effect of moderate beer consumption with and without alcohol on the intestinal microbiota and metabolic markers

Abstract

The intestinal microbiota plays a key symbiotic role within the host, influencing metabolic, physiological, and immunological functions. Dysbiosis is reported to be the imbalance of the microbiota composition and has been observed in several pathologies. Diet is associated with the composition of the microbiota. Plant based foods provide polyphenols that arrive intact into the colon, where specific bacteria can metabolize and transform them into assimilable compounds. Some fermented beverages are rich in polyphenols and may have prebiotic characteristics. Several studies have shown the beneficial effects of wine, including in the intestinal microbiota, however, nothing has been clarified about the effect of beer consumption. Beer is a drink rich in polyphenols from hops and malts. This is a pilot study conducted to evaluate the effect of moderate beer consumption, by testing their participant’s metabolic markers and the composition of intestinal bacteria, after four weeks of beer drinking, with and without alcohol.