Alcohol in any form isn’t great for your liver. That’s because the liver is responsible for breaking down and filtering out the bad stuff in our blood. Alcohol being one of those things, the more you consume, the more you’re going to damage the organ.
It takes our bodies about one hour for the liver to process one alcoholic beverage, so the more you consume, the more you cause the liver to work in overdrive, which can potentially lead to scarring and then, ultimately, liver issues.
That all being said, alcohol level also plays a role. If you consume lower ABV drinks, your liver will have to work a little less rigorously than it would if you decided to down a few shots of straight spirit. Malt liquor tends to be higher in alcohol than comparatively priced domestic beers, but then again, many craft beers have high ABV, too, so it’s hard to say that one is worse for you than the other.
One potential difference scientists discovered, however, is that hops may play a role in protecting this vital organ. In one study, it was found that hoppy beers did less liver damage than beers that did not have hops. Then again, it was a small study, so who really knows for sure? The safest conclusion is that all alcohol impacts the liver, so drink responsibly.
