Arsenic in Beer and Wine – Arsenic and You (2024)

FAQs

Does beer contain arsenic? ›

All beer and wine contains some arsenic. Certain beer made with rice, rice wine (like sake) and some red or white wines may have higher amounts of arsenic in them than others.

Ingesting high levels of inorganic arsenic can result in death. Low levels of arsenic ingestion can cause nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of "pins and needles" in hands and feet.

For example, one study tested 65 red wines from 4 U.S. states and found that all of them exceeded the EPA guidelines for drinking water — with an average arsenic level of 23 ppb ( 5 ).

Arsenic in Wine Facts

The only established limit for arsenic in the U.S. is for drinking water at 10 parts per billion (ppb), set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). All beverages constitute only about 5% of our total exposure to arsenic and the contribution from wine in that 5% is also very low.

Alcohol isn't a healthy choice in general, but some alcohol is better for you than others. Red wine, whiskey, tequila, and hard kombucha are healthier options than beer and sugary drinks.

A high fiber diet helps keep the bowels unblocked and bids toxins in the colon. B Vitamins: A balanced B vitamin supplement will supply all of the B vitamins essential to methylation of arsenic. Vitamin C: Vitamin C can actually act as a chelating agent and help remove arsenic directly from the bloodstream.

Both inorganic and organic forms leave your body in your urine. Most of the inorganic arsenic will be gone within several days, although some will remain in your body for several months or even longer. If you are exposed to organic arsenic, most of it will leave your body within several days.

Ingestion and inhalation are the most common routes of exposure to arsenic, and they are the routes that most commonly lead to illness. Dermal exposure may lead to illness, but to a lesser extent than ingestion or inhalation routes of exposure.

The most common and well-known toxic alcohols are methanol, ethylene glycol and isopropanol. Methanol (methyl alcohol, “wood alcohol”). It is a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid that can smell like ethanol. It is commonly found in deicer fluid, cooking fuel, carburetor fluid and as a contaminant in moonshine.

What is the most poisonous alcohol in the world? ›

The world's most dangerous alcoholic drinks include Absinthe, Bacardi 151, Changaa, Everclear, Death in the Afternoon, Four Lokos, Jungle Juice, Knockeen Hills, Moonshine, and Spirytus Rektyfikowany. Commonly referred to as the “green fairy,” absinthe was banned in the U.S. from 1915 to 2007.

A few were found to have more than 25 parts per billion of arsenic. That's twice the 10 parts per billion standard for drinking water in the United States. Germany is proud of its Reinheitsgebot, a 16th century purity law that demands that beer can be made of only water, hops and malt.

Liver cirrhosis: When more than 30 grams of alcohol (about 2–3 glasses of wine) are consumed each day, the risk of developing liver disease increases. End-stage liver disease, called cirrhosis, is life threatening ( 34 ). Increased risk of cancer: Alcohol consumption is a risk factor in 4% of all cancers.

Natural wine is made with hand-picked organic or biodynamically grown grapes that were never exposed to pesticides or herbicides. Once the grapes are harvested and pressed, the resulting juice is fermented without additives.

The cheaper the wine, the more arsenic it's likely to contain — a major buzzkill, considering arsenic is a known carcinogen that's highly toxic. Its effects have been compared to what happens when you smoke cigarettes, the damage compounding over time.

NDMA is a potentially dangerous compound which is formed in malt when nitrogen oxide from pollution in the air reacts with certain amines in germinated barley when it is kilned. High levels of NDMA can pose a number of risks to human health including, liver damage.

Some nutrition experts consider craft beer a more functional beverage since beer imparts medical benefits to the drinker. The healthiest are stouts and porters, and higher hoppy beers, such as DIPAs and Imperial IPAs, Trappist beers, and spontaneous fermented beers, such as Lambics and Gose.

Typical concentration levels of copper and zinc in beer are 0.2 mg/L [2]. Furthermore, the determination of arsenic, antimony, cadmium and lead is important because these elements are toxic when present in beer or the brewing water.