Gen Z obsessed with probiotics, better off with a beer: research

Food & Drink

By Alex Mitchell

August 29, 2023 | 3:53pm

Gen Z’s next big food-related makeover — after tackling pickles, solo dinners, stew, restaurant menus and so much more?

Their gut health. At least that ought to be the case, according to new research that shows the younger generation’s TikTok-fueled obsession with strange culinary mash-ups and trendy health foods is leaving their stomachs in worse shape than if they’d simply sipped a beer.

Scientists at China’s Dalian Medical University wrote in their findings that cracking open a cold one can have “even greater effects” than fashionable probiotics — a collection of healthy bacteria that mainly benefit the intestines — found in most fermented foods, a Gen Z fave.

The cheers-worthy news places the cheeky pint in direct competition with popular foods like yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, kimchi, kefir, sourdough bread and certain cheeses.

Beer is rich in an antioxidant boosting type of compound known as polyphenols that, when paired with the brew’s fiber contents, “show the potential to enhance the development of a healthy gut [micro organism] through probiotic mechanisms,” researchers wrote.

“It has been reported that beer consumption has a regulatory effect on various physiological functions of the human body,” they continued.

As an age group, surveys show that eaters in their teens and early 20s are particularly hooked on probiotic dairy enriched meals. They have even resurrected the popularity of cottage cheese thanks to the presence of good-for-you bacteria.

Convincing Gen Z to make the switch to booze could be a stretch — they are known for drinking less compared to teens at the turn of the millennium.

And, as a group, they’ve become known for their dislike of in-real-life socializing, leaving everyday traditions like happy hour largely in the dust — leading to worries of a loneliness epidemic continuing to spread post-pandemic, particularly in NYC.

The brewski-boasting news comes in wake of the White House warning that more than two beers a week can be harmful. The advice follows a recent Canadian government directive that created a stir north of the border.

Meanwhile, the Chinese researchers are recommending the creation of low or non-alcoholic “health beers” that “are good candidates for functional foods.”

“Health beers made by fortifying them with bioactive substances such as fiber, antioxidants and probiotics would provide health benefits to consumers,” they wrote.

“Whether beer can be used in the future as a micro-ecological regulator or even as an alternative therapy for chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity is a question that deserves further research,” the scientists wrote.