Category: Brand week

For most salesmen, beer marketing is difficult. Their problems include misconceptions, myths and beliefs about beer consumption. At a forum by the Nigeria Breweries in Lagos, nutritionists list the benefit of drinking beer, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

Last year, the Beer Sector Group (BSG) Nigeria launched a campaign designed to protect brewery sector valued at over N300billion against beliefs that prevent some consumers from drinking beer.

Brewers believe that with about 40,000 types of beer in the world produced by an industry that employs millions of people directly and indirectly, a lot of myths and misconception have continued to work against  the sale of beer globally.

Worried by this development, the Nigerian Breweries  organised the Beer &Lifestyle Symposium in Lagos to address some of these challenges. The forum agreed that there were still worries over these myths and misconceptions. Beer marketing managers said while some of these barriers were easy to contemplate, others are ridiculous, hence preventing consumers from seeing the benefits of beer to their health other than for social engagement.

Research from a focus group comprising media practitioners at a Beer Academy in Ibadan, showed that consumers still hold a belief that beer is the cause of pot belly, and should, therefore, not be taken with food. They also believe that it is not meant for the elderly (men and women), and that it is the leading cause of road mishaps.

But stakeholders said these were mere fallacies that had continued to becloud consumers from enjoying the health benefits of beer. Relying on global reports, the brewer said the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a consumption of 60 grammes of alcohol daily as maximum. However, with beer having five per cent alcohol, which equates to  four per cent alcohol by weight (1.5 litres), beer makers said consumers should adopt beer than other alcoholic beverages, such as wine, spirits, which contains more than five per cent alcohol.

However, at the symposium, NB paraded leading nutritionists to educate consumers on the health benefits of beer and also deepen its Drink Responsibly campaign.

 

What beer can do to women

A nutritionist, food technology expert, and a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNIFST), Mrs. Dolapo Coker, said a moderate intake of beer could positively impact the health and well-being of women. She said beer is an alcoholic beverage but can be classified as food, because of its nutritious value.

She listed the nutrients to include: carbonhydrates, such as dextrins and polysaccharides; proteins in the form of amino acids; load of vitamins, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid and others; minerals such as magnesium, potassium, silicon, selenium and others; it contains fibre, such as betaglucans and others.

However, she also warned that alcohol abuse impacts the health of the woman through direct interaction of alcohol with organ systems, such as the brain, liver and gastro intestinal system, when the alcohol is ingested and transported through the blood.

Coker explained that in the health/lifestyle hierarchy needs, special attention should be given to women because they are classified “as belonging to the risk group where micronutrients shortages are most likely to occur during their different stages of development.

”Even if taken in small amounts, the effect of alcohol on women is more than on men; women are more sensitive to alcohol. Alcohol dehydrogenase is a metabolising enzyme that helps the body to get alcohol out of the system. Women have less of this enzyme than men, so more of what women drink enters the blood stream as pure alcohol.”

Coker said the Ancient Romans used beer baths to sweat out toxins, exfoliate their skin and infuse the body with vitamins. This, she said, led to a clearer skin and an improved immune system. ”Beer Spas are pretty popular in Europe. The Spas claim to fight against Acne.

“Most beers are made from ingredients that are rich in selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc and some B vitamins. Beer is also known to have antibacterial properties that protect against infections within your stomach. It is believed that if it is so good for your inside, surely it can be just as good for your outside,” she noted.

 

Drink responsibly

Also speaking at the event, a biologist and a project leader in the Institute for Food and Nutrition in The Netherlands, Dr. Henk Hendricks, explained that moderating the level of beer consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health.

According to Hendricks, some of the inherent advantages of beer include: low percentage of alcohol; large quantities of water; its role in rehydration;  a good source of minerals; a good source of polyphenolic antioxidants; contains anti-inflammatory xanthohumoles; and a large variety of raw materials, including gluten-free’ rich in fibers.

 

Beer belly

Coker, however, said people who drink beer moderately actually lose weight regularly. “All humans need calories intake for energy. Pot belly is a function of what we do with the unused calories in the body. In fact, scientists explain that beer has the least in calories and high in anti-dioxidants. They also argue that beer in fct deliver more nutrients than wine,” Coker said.

Managing Director Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicholaas Vervelde, noted that though beer has been with the humanity for thousands of years, the appreciation of its unique benefits were only beginning to grow.

“The knowledge about the benefits of moderate consumption of beer is multiplying every day with so many empirical research findings from all over the world,” he said.