I've been asked so many times lately as to whether the new Molson 67 low calorie beer is a better choice than regular beer, that I thought I'd better write a post about it.
It is true that Molson 67 is a lower calorie beer - it contains only 67 cal per bottle, about half the calories of a regular beer, which contains 120-150 calories.
It should also be noted that Molson 67 contains 3% alcohol, whereas most regular beers contain around 4.5%. The lower alcohol content makes this a better option than a regular beer as well.
However, there is potential for misinterpretation or misuse here (as there is for any alcohol product). In particular, because of Molson 67's lower alcohol content, one may not find a singular beer quite as satisfying if you are looking for that little bit of relaxation that you may otherwise find with a regular beer. My concern is that the result may be that you may find yourself reaching for a second beer to do the trick. This can be a slippery slope, as it may engender a pattern of increasing volume of beer consumption.
So, if you stick to one beer, then yes, Molson 67 is a better option than a regular beer to cut calories and alcohol - just don't compensate for either of these factors by increasing the number of beers that you drink.
Remember that Canadian guidelines recommend maximum 9 drinks per week for a woman and 14 per week for a man (with no more than 2 per day). The bottom line is that if you choose a lower calorie beer without increasing your alcoholic beverage consumption and while staying within these guidelines, then you are doing yourself a favor; but if you increase the volume of consumption, good marketing is beating you out.
Also remember that if you are diabetic and taking medication for your diabetes, it may be advisable to avoid alcohol completely, as alcohol can have many negative interactions with certain diabetes medications and insulin. Be sure to discuss with your physician.
Dr. Sue © 2010 www.drsue.ca drsuetalks@gmail.com
