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Background. The beer is a source of alcohol as well as valuable nutrients, psychoactive substances and bioactive compounds, which are an important factor in the prevention and treatment of many diseases of civilization. The association of beer consumption with the relief of menopausal symptoms, beneficial effects on the gut microbiota, skin, immune system and weight loss process has been documented. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the alcohol found and consumed in excess can have negative effects on cardiovascular health, cause addiction and can even lead to death. Hence, a suitable alternative are non-alcoholic beers, whose caloric and isotonic properties are reduced, in addition, they have pharmacological potential, which allows them to be classified as nutraceutical substances. Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate commercial beers of different alcohol content and their alcohol-free alternatives in comparison with each other in terms of antioxidant activity and total polyphenol and flavonoid content. Materials and methods. Sixteen beers, 8 alcoholic and 8 non-alcoholic, of different brands and fermentation types were analyzed for their phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity. Total polyphenol content (TPC) was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method, flavonoids by aluminum chloride method while antioxidant activity was evaluated by FRAP method. Results. The results of this study showed that the total polyphenol content of the beers studied ranged from 148.48 ± 4.01 to 819.19 ± 20.68 μg GAL/cm³, while the flavonoid content ranged from 6.53 ± 0.74 to 167.34 ± 1.68 μg CAT/cm³. Determined antioxidant activity, varied and ranged from 0.71 ± 0.01 to 4.32 ± 0.09 μmol TX/cm³. It was also observed that the group of non-alcoholic beers contained about 50% lower values of the determined parameters in relation to their alcoholic equivalents, which on average contained polyphenols 237.22 ± 62.09 μg GAL/cm³, flavonoids 45.03 ± 28.40 μg CAT/cm³, and the antioxidant capacity was 1.20 ± 0.38 μmol TX/cm³. It was observed that in the compared groups of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers, the dark beers had both higher antioxidant activity of 3.39 ± 1.31 and 1.50 ± 0.35 μmol TX/cm³, respectively. They were also characterized by a higher content of polyphenols at 659.34 ± 226.06 and 306.82 ± 43.21 μg GAL/cm³ and flavonoids at 145.87 ± 30.80 and 84.20 ± 21.53 μg CAT/cm³ in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers, respectively. Conclusions. The tested beers were characterized by high antioxidant capacity, suggesting that they may be a source of bioactive compounds with high free radical scavenging properties. Significantly higher amounts of flavonoids and polyphenols were found in dark beers, which also had higher antioxidant activity compared to light beers. The results of the assays for non- -alcoholic beers in general were above 50% lower compared to their alcoholic counterparts. Due to the negative effects of ethanol on the human body and the risk of alcohol addiction, alcoholic beers should be consumed in moderation despite their stated more beneficial health- -promoting properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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