Still, research has linked excess alcohol use to poor sleep duration and quality. People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have a higher insomnia risk than others. Cocktails and mixed drinks often have more calories than beer and wine. For example, a piña colada has as many as 500 calories per seven-ounce serving.
Inadequate intake of micronutrients
Whether a holiday party or not, alcohol consumption is very popular in the United States. Beyond bloating, make sure you remember alcohol should be consumed in moderation. The body can only metabolize a certain amount of alcohol every hour. How much alcohol you’re able to metabolize is dependent on your does alcohol make u gain weight age, weight, sex, and other factors. Alcohol is an inflammatory substance, meaning it tends to cause swelling in the body. This inflammation may be made much worse by the things often mixed with alcohol, such as sugary and carbonated liquids, which can result in gas, discomfort, and more bloating.
- Depending on what you order or pour, just one drink might contain anywhere from fifty to several hundred calories.
- Reducing alcohol consumption can also help manage weight, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise.
- Bloating may be worse when alcohol is combined with sugary and carbonated mixers.
- As strange as it sounds, there are times when alcohol consumption can make you even lose weight.
Is Wine Fattening?
Instead, your liver prioritizes breaking down alcohol rather than fat. Alcohol has a lot of calories but offers no nutrients and may affect hormones that control appetite, hunger, and stress. Even once you sober up, other physical effects of alcohol can stand in the way of a healthy diet and exercise regimen. “If you’re trying to lose weight, what you really want to happen is you want fat burning to be turned on as much as possible,” Wyatt says. “Beer belly” refers to that protruding stomach some men carry around.
What Does Alcohol Do to Your Body? 9 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health
Many can’t control their alcohol and the choices they make afterward. So doctors are hesitant to recommend drinking alcohol at all for this reason. This also goes for beer which is usually higher in carbs and starches. These carbs will most likely be stored as fat, leading to the dreaded beer belly.
Alcohol Disrupts Digestive System
Now, not all Americans who drink alcohol are obese, and not all obese Americans drink. I’ve always gone with my heart, so I’m sticking with my glass-or-two-a-day habit. You could blame your ancestors for this as they needed a way to store energy if they didn’t always have food.
He has over 15 years of experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. He strives to bring inspiration and results for people to live healthier lives through smart diet and exercise. One of the main reasons alcohol has gotten such a bad rap is for this very reason.
- That allows excess calories from the foods you eat to sit around, leading to weight gain.
- This leads to decreased digestive secretions and movement of food through the tract.
- The effects on your body will be more pronounced, potentially leading to internal organ damage and other medical conditions.
- Keeping well-hydrated is so important when consuming alcohol – for a variety of reasons.
The Relationship Between Alcohol and Body Weight
The calories in alcohol are “empty,” meaning they contain little to no beneficial nutrients or minerals. Alcoholic beverages are often high in empty calories, with about seven per gram. Drinking alcohol can impair the functions of your glands that release hormones, which may cause weight gain. For example, Simon says that alcohol can affect levels of reproductive hormones like testosterone and estrogen. “If somebody is getting hungover the next day, the chances of them waking up and having a healthy lifestyle [are slim],” Simon says. In addition, your body may not be able to absorb nutrients properly.
- Most studies on alcohol’s effects on appetite have been conducted in animals.
- So yes, it’s possible to gain weight from alcohol, but it’s not inevitable.
- “Beer belly” refers to that protruding stomach some men carry around.
“I prefer to drink my calories,” he told us, pointing to the bottle of red wine he had ordered. This he did—by consuming the entire bottle. Red wine is generally a wise choice if you’re trying to lose weight. Many like having a glass or two of red wine at night to wind down, and you can still drop pounds as long as you’re eating the right foods at the correct times. Spirits, when drunk neat, can be one of the better choices for alcoholic drinks for losing body weight. A simple vodka, lime, and club soda will be one of the best bets if you don’t want to keep the pounds off. If you’re doing everything else right in your diet and exercise program, then having an alcoholic beverage or two shouldn’t contribute much to weight gain.