Beer lovers know: as soon as they finish their pint, they want to go to the toilet! But why is this need felt so regularly and every time we consume this type of alcohol? Explanations from Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of TipsForWomens.
Beer is certainly the most consumed alcoholic drink in the evening, particularly with friends or during a sporting event. But immediately after drinking a pint, you feel an irrepressible urge to go to the toilet… Have you ever wondered why? Here are the explanations from Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of TipsForWomens.
Beer, an alcohol made from hops
Beer is an alcoholic beverage that is made from hops, a diuretic plant. “Beer, which is the combination of alcohol and hops, is a particularly diuretic drink” confirms the medical director of TipsForWomens. And among the reasons that explain these incessant urges to urinate after drinking a beer are “the diuretic properties of hops, as a plant”. But that’s not all.
Alcohol, an anti-diuretic hormone inhibitor
These properties of hops are exacerbated by the inhibition of anti-diuretic hormone by alcohol. “This goes for all alcohol, not just beer. Anti-diuretic hormone is a hormone produced by the brain, which affects diuresis, that is to say the urine produced by the body. Alcohol inhibits it, so it plays its role less well, which is to prevent peeing.” added Dr. Kierzek.
By inhibiting it, the urge to urinate is no longer slowed down. The combination of the two explains “this phenomenon of incessant urge to pee, after each beer“.
To hydrate yourself, nothing like water
Although alcoholic beverages take pride of place, during festive moments, you must hydrate with water. “It is all the more important in this case, because we tend to urinate more and therefore lose more water” adds the doctor. To stay hydrated, “we drink regularly and we consume alcohol in moderation” he concludes.