The glycemic index of beer is often higher than that of some sugary drinks because it mainly contains carbohydrates such as malt, corn, and syrup, with relatively low levels of difficult-to-digest components like protein and fat. This makes beer easily digestible by the body, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar.
Rapid blood sugar elevation stimulates increased insulin secretion, promoting glucose conversion to fat and inhibiting fat breakdown, increasing the risk of obesity. Blood sugar fluctuations also affect gene expression in visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue, increasing the likelihood of abdominal obesity and, consequently, the risk of diabetes.
