# was beer fortified with vitamins in the past? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181 "2011-05-08T19:26:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/1 "2011-05-08T19:26:13Z")
Were beers in the USA required to be fortified with vitamins in the past? Seems like I recall being told that they were (to prevent certain diseases among severe alcoholics). ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/2 "2011-05-08T19:35:37Z")
Not that I’ve heard of, although beer is naturally pretty high in B complex vitamins, so maybe that’s where the idea came from. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/3 "2011-05-08T21:25:11Z")
Schlitz was fortified with vitamin D in the '30s. [http://www.old-time.com/commercials/1950’s/Schlitz.html](http://www.old-time.com/commercials/1950's/Schlitz.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/4 "2011-05-08T22:57:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Not that I’ve heard of, although beer is naturally pretty high in B complex vitamins, so maybe that’s where the idea came from. I don’t think that’s true… From what I’ve heard, there’s plenty of B vitamins involved, but they mostly end up in the by-products that get turned into vegemite or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/5 "2011-05-09T00:10:54Z")
Ascrobic acid is added to some beer to act as an anti-oxidant. Ascorbic Acid is also commonly known as Vitamin C. It isn’t there as a supplement. You see it in quite a few other foods for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/6 "2011-05-09T01:33:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I don’t think that’s true… From what I’ve heard, there’s plenty of B vitamins involved, but they mostly end up in the by-products that get turned into vegemite or whatever. Depends on the beer, I suppose. Unfiltered ones will have a significant amount of yeast still in, and will still have a relatively high amount of B vitamins. According to this, beer does have some vitamins anyway. > **[Drinks](https://www.loseit.com/articles/recipes-and-cooking/recipes/drinks/all-articles/)** > > Beat boredom with these nutritious drink recipes that also complement your eating plan. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/7 "2011-05-09T03:55:47Z")
Back in the 60’s & 70’s my Pop really liked Fox Deluxe beer. He let me drink a couple every now and then, but damn if I can remember if it was any good or not. Anyway, the [labels](http://www.newyorkbreweriana.com/img/foxdeluxe.jpg) did brag that there was "_Vitamins B & G in every drop"_. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/8 "2011-05-09T14:15:53Z")
What’s vitamin G? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/9 "2011-05-09T14:43:50Z")
> [@bump](#): > > What’s vitamin G? Gravy. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/10 "2011-05-09T14:51:14Z")
> [@bump](#): > > What’s vitamin G? gusto. if beer didn’t have vitamins it would make it weird to pour it on your cornflakes for that ‘get up and go’ breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/11 "2011-05-09T17:07:35Z")
> [@bump](#): > > What’s vitamin G? It’s what they used to call riboflavin. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/12 "2011-05-09T17:16:57Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Not that I’ve heard of, although beer is naturally pretty high in B complex vitamins, so maybe that’s where the idea came from. I don’t know about beer fortified with vitamins, but I’ve looked into the content of B-vitamins in beer. Overall, it seems to be a modestly good source of some vitamins, but nothing spectacular. Relative to its calorie content, beer is a fair source of several of the B-vitamins. For a person getting 2000 calories a day, a single can of beer would provide 7.7 percent of his calories. It should contain at least that percentage of the RDI to be considered a good source of any nutrient. A can of beer will provide levels of some B-vitamins slightly higher than that: niacin (9.1% of the RDI) and B-6 (8.2%). Some of the B-vitamins are found at levels somewhat lower than 7.7 percent: folate (5.3% of RDI) and riboflavin (5.2%). Some others are found at levels that are little more than negligible: pantothenic acid (1.5% of RDI), thiamine (1.2%) and vitamin B-12 (1.2%). Vitamin and calorie content of beer from the [USDA](http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/) (search for “Alcoholic beverage, beer, regular, all”). RDI data from [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_Daily_Intake) ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/13 "2011-05-09T18:29:30Z")
Most countries have laws against fortifying some junk foods with vitamins (or at least, advertising or publicising it). You don’t want parents feeding their kids Fortified-Cola on the theory that “it’s just as good as milk!” just because it has 2 vitamins added. (I often wonder hwo Sunny D gets away with this). Certainly, the last thing any government wants is that people think drinking beer in large quantities is healthy or a replacement for a healthy diet. So if the food naturally has some attributes, then that’s OK. But adding them and in any way advertising it on the lable is a no-no. Besides, under food labelling laws - is it still “beer” if it has added vitamins? If you cannot mention added vitamins on the label, but must list all ngredients, it’s kind of a catch 22. ---
**Author:** ![Cestrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Cestrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cestrian)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/15 "2011-05-12T09:17:42Z")
> [@Marcos01](#): > > I do not think vitamins supplements which are beneficial to heath where as liquor which is injurious to health should be combined together and served. Nutritional supplements are essential for body and these supplements help a person to keep up with the fast pacing lifestyle. Nutritional supplements are only essential\* to keep specialist “health” food shops in business. \*Special (ie not general population) cases notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-beer-fortified-with-vitamins-in-the-past/581181/16 "2011-05-12T11:47:49Z")
As I tell everyone when faced with my homebrew, all the vitamins are in the sludge.