Is non-alcoholic beer good for you?
Yes, if it replaces beer. A pint holds almost no alcohol and usually fewer calories. But a can marked zero isn’t always 0%, and in a trial, no alcohol-free beer did better than water.
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Is non-alcoholic beer good for you?
It’s better for you than beer, if you drink it instead of beer. Most of the alcohol is gone, and it usually has fewer calories.
A unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. The NHS sum is strength times ml, divided by 1,000.
So a pint of 0.5% beer is about 0.3 units. A pint of 5% lager is about 2.8.
| Drink | Units |
|---|---|
| Pint of alcohol free beer (0.05%) | About 0.03 |
| Pint of de-alcoholised beer (up to 0.5%) | About 0.3 |
| 500ml can at 0.5% | About a quarter |
| Pint of lower-strength lager (3.6%) | 2 |
| Pint of 5% lager | About 2.8 |
How little is that? A government review worked out that a healthy-weight woman would need 8 pints of 0.5% beer in an hour. That gives the same blood alcohol as one pint of 4% beer.
So swap pints, don’t add them. Count any real beers with the 14 units a week guide.
Does zero alcohol beer have any alcohol?
Often, yes. Zero is the word to check.
Zero isn’t one of the words in government guidance. In a government review of beer sales, about 3 in 4 litres sold as zero listed some alcohol on the can. Most listed 0.05% or less.
| Word on the can | Most alcohol |
|---|---|
| Alcohol free | 0.05% |
| De-alcoholised | 0.5% |
| Low alcohol | 1.2% |
| Zero or non-alcoholic | No limit. Zero isn’t in the guidance, and it says not to call a beer non-alcoholic. |
Imported beer can follow other rules. Germany, for example, lets drinks with up to 0.5% be sold as having no alcohol. And the UK words are voluntary.
Labels can be wrong too. In a 2010 lab study in Canada, 13 of 45 drinks had more alcohol than the label said. Some marked 0.0% held up to 1.8%.
So ignore the big word on the front. Find the % on the back. That’s the ABV, the share of the drink that is alcohol.
Is non-alcoholic beer healthier than beer?
It has less alcohol and usually fewer calories. The BHF says less alcohol generally means fewer calories.
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, almost as many as fat. The NHS puts a pint of 5% beer at up to 222.
But the sugar that would have become alcohol can stay in the can. In a 2025 German trial, 44 healthy young men drank 660ml a day of one alcohol-free beer, or water, for 4 weeks.
| Drink | Sugar per 100ml | After 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Plain lager (pilsner) | 2.8g | Fewer bad effects, but no benefit over water |
| Wheat beer | 3.6g | Insulin (the hormone that lowers blood sugar) and blood fats rose |
| Beer mixed with lemon or orange soda | 4.9g | Fasting blood sugar and blood fats rose |
Source: Kreimeyer 2025
Next to water, no beer came out ahead. The authors think the calories and sugar caused the changes.
A 2012 trial gave 277 male marathon runners 1 to 1.5 litres a day of one brewery’s alcohol-free wheat beer. They had fewer colds in the 2 weeks after the race, a short-term effect, not a reason to drink it daily.
Watching sugar? Read how much sugar a day before you stock up.
Who should avoid non-alcoholic beer?
| If you are | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Pregnant or trying to get pregnant | A government review says it might be sensible to avoid alcohol-free drinks. The NHS says no alcohol at all is safest. |
| In recovery from drinking | Some evidence says these drinks could raise cravings in heavy or dependent drinkers. |
| Living with diabetes | Diabetes UK suggests alcohol-free drinks instead of alcohol, but they still have some sugars and carbs that affect blood sugar. Check the label. |
| Driving | The BHF says read the label carefully. Some contain up to 0.5%. |
Sources: DHSC; NHS; Diabetes UK; BHF
Can you drive after one? In a study the review cites, 78 people drank 1.5 litres of 0.41% to 0.42% beer in an hour.
The highest blood alcohol was 0.0056%. The limit is 0.08% in England and Wales and 0.05% in Scotland. The review says effects on driving are unlikely, but labels can be wrong, so check the % before you drive.
Pregnant or trying? Sparkling water with lime gives you the glass without the doubt. In recovery, skip it if it sparks cravings.
How do I choose the best non-alcoholic beer?
Taste is yours to judge. The label tells you the rest: drinks of 1.2% or less must list nutrition and ingredients.
Six checks for your next can
- Want the least alcohol? Pick alcohol free (0.05% or less), not de-alcoholised.
- Don’t trust the word zero. Find the % on the back of the can.
- Compare calories and sugar per 100ml on the nutrition label.
- Watching sugar? Pick a plain lager over wheat beer or beer mixed with soda.
- Drink it instead of a beer, and alternate your drinks with water.
- Make it feel like a treat: a nice glass and a cold can.
Sources: GOV.UK; DHSC; Kreimeyer 2025; NHS; BHF
Prefer wine? See non-alcoholic wine.
Cutting back for good? Read what happens when you give up alcohol.
When to speak to a GP
See a GP if:
- You often feel the need to have a drink, others warn you about your drinking, or you think it’s causing you problems. Drinkline is free on 0300 123 1110.
- You get anxiety after waking, sweating and mild tremors, nausea or retching in the morning, or vomiting. Stopping overnight could be harmful, so get advice first.
- You have diabetes and aren’t sure if your medicine can cause hypos (low blood sugar) with alcohol. Ask your healthcare team.
A GP can tell you about local support to cut down or stop. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Call 999 for severe withdrawal: hallucinations, severe tremors, or seizures or fits.