Can man live on beer alone?
An Iowa beer aficionado aims to find out. The Toronto Star reports that J. Wilson, a beer blogger and editor of the weekly Adams County
Free Press, has given up food for Lent, opting instead for a 46-day beer only
diet.
On theblog that he's keeping to document his sudsy
experience, Wilson writes that he was inspired by 17th century Paulaner
monks of Munich who maintained their strength during Lenten fasts by drinking
doppelbock, a carbohydrate rich beer often referred to as "liquid bread."
His goal, the self-described non-denominational Christian
told the Star is to show that "back in the Middle Ages - and far beyond that -
the Church and beer were very linked."
More from Delish: What's Your Beer IQ?
And so working with Eric Sorensen, a brewer at Des Moines'
Rock Bottom Brewery, Wilson concocted his own version of liquid bread, which
contains 288 calories and 6.67% alcohol content per each 12-ounce serving. He
drinks four on weekdays and five on weekends.
Wilson, who bulked up from his usual 140 pounds to 162 to
prepare for his fast, reported on his blog that after five days of fasting, he
had already lost 11 pounds (though he regained one pound by day seven.)
Andrea Giancoli, a
registered dietician and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association who
has written about thenutritional benefits of beer, says that weight loss is to
be expected on a diet of only about 1200 calories a day.
"He's really on a very low calorie diet," she said after
reading about Wilson's plans. "I do expect him to continue to lose weight.
Though that will slow down because his metabolism will slow down."
More from Delish: Man Loses Weight on Junk Food Diet
In addition to the weight loss, such a low calorie count can
also cause problems with concentration and lead to muscle loss as the body
begins to break down muscle tissue to use for fuel, Giancoli said, a problem
that could be compounded by alcohol's toxic effect on muscles.
But for a boozy diet beer isn't the worst choice. According
to Giancoli, as compared with wine or spirits, beer is less dehydrating,
averaging between 93 and 94% water content. "And it's got some vitamins and
minerals. It's a decent source of B vitamins."
Still, she added. "This is not a nutritionally sound diet.
He is missing a lot of nutrients and taking a risk with his health."
Wilson, who is being monitored by a doctor during his
experiment, reports on his blog that he feels "excellent physically" and is
generally able to avoid food's temptations.
"For the most part I can talk about food and I can look at
food, but the sniffing is tough," he wrote on the sixth day of the fast. "My
only rough spot today was listening to The Beatles' 'Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds.' Those freaking marmalade skies!"
