The sober curious movement has been picking up steam in the last few years.
More and more people are participating in abstinence events like Sober October and Dry January, so it’s no wonder that questions come up about non-alcoholic beverage options when deciding on an alcohol-free lifestyle.
But can non-alcoholic beer give you a hangover? Technically most NA beer in the United States has around 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), but is that enough to give you a hangover?
Of course, the only way to indeed avoid a hangover is not to drink in the first place. However, sometimes there are reasons you’d want to enjoy an NA beer, like being at a social event and not just drinking water or soda, or like me, having similar drinks to keep you away from the beer with alcohol.
One of the main benefits of being alcohol-free is not experiencing the symptoms caused by hangovers, so let’s learn a little more about those and then find out if NA beer will give you one.
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What Is a Hangover Caused By?
Quite simply, a hangover is caused by drinking too much alcohol, but this can mean different things for different people; even one drink for someone intolerant can cause one, while another might drink heavily and never have one.
Generally, the more you drink, the more likely you’ll have a hangover, but in reality, there is no way to know how much you can drink without experiencing the ill effects of a hangover.
Is a Hangover Just Dehydration?
Dehydration is a significant contributor, but not the only one:
- Alcohol causes you to pee more which can lead to dehydration. Common signs are thirst, lightheadedness, and dizziness.
- Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to fall, causing fatigue, weakness, shakiness, mood disturbances, and even seizures.
- Alcohol causes your blood vessels to expand, which can lead to headaches.
- Alcohol can make you sleepy, which may sound like an excellent way to get some rest, but it’s not the critical REM sleep you need, often waking up in the middle of the night disrupting your sleep pattern.
How do you feel after drinking non-alcoholic beer?
So the question this post is trying to answer is can non-alcoholic beer give you a hangover, and the answer is no. As mentioned earlier, most NA beers are 0.5% ABV, so there is no real chance you’d experience a hangover.
Now that that’s out of the way, keep in mind these are still beers, so if you have gluten intolerance or are allergic to any ingredients like hops, you’ll still want to do your due diligence before you drink, but you won’t have to worry about hangovers.
Can you get a buzz from non-alcoholic beer?
No. It’s doubtful you’d ever get a buzz from drinking NA beer. There isn’t enough alcohol in each beer to give you a buzz.
Did you know other foods like apples, bananas, and even bread have a trace amount of alcohol in them? According to a study published in August of 2016 in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, you’ll find small amounts in fermented food and drinks like yogurt and kombucha.
Does 0% alcohol still have alcohol in it?
To be considered non-alcoholic in the United States, a beer must be 0.5 ABV and under, about the same amount of alcohol in a ripe banana. Some brands like Heiniken 0.0 are alcohol-free, so if you don’t want any alcohol in your brew, these are the beers you’d like to seek out.
Can non-alcoholic beer give you a headache?
If you get a headache, it won’t be from the beer since most non-alcoholic beers clock in at 0.5% ABV or less.
You might even be surprised that drinks with less than 2% ABV will rehydrate instead of dehydrating you! This doesn’t mean to go crazy drinking NA beers; you should still mix in some water every once in a while.
In Conclusion
Dehydration is the leading cause of hangovers due to frequent urination. Still, other contributing factors, like low blood sugar and expanded blood vessels, can cause headaches, among different undesirable feelings.
You will be fine after drinking non-alcoholic beer, which will not give you a buzz. Most NA beer is 0.5% ABV, about the same amount in a ripe banana, but there are options out there with 0.0% that are worth looking into if this is a concern.
Check out Self Care, one of my favorite NA breweries, slanging some great beer styles if you’re looking for some new craft beer to sample!
Cheers!