I mean, beer is among the top 10 energy sources of Americans (right up there with soda, doughnuts, cheese spread, and corn chips—and, no, I am not making that up). And beyond that, moderate drinking is linked with lower risk for heart disease and diabetes and increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol—how could it do that and be working overtime to make you fat, too? As I suspected, the story is more complicated than the diet book author suggested—although, sadly, she was not totally off base. How alcohol affects your figure depends on genetics, your diet, your gender, and your habits. However, according to some of the studies referenced in the Traversy and Chaput article, lifestyle, rather than alcohol per se, may promote weight gain.
- So doctors are hesitant to recommend drinking alcohol at all for this reason.
- However, she clarified that this phenomenon is not true for everyone, and the impact of alcohol on water retention is different for different people.
- Buying the single glass bottle of wine is easiest for me until I reset my mind to only have this amount.
- Alcohol is an inflammatory substance, meaning it tends to cause swelling in the body.
- Research shows, however, that even infrequent binge drinking can thicken your midsection.
Consuming foods and drinks high in sugar can quickly lead to weight gain. Alcohol spikes cortisol levels in the body, which contributes to the accumulation of belly fat. It also impedes your ability to get a good night’s sleep, further contributing to belly fat. Whether you are a heavy, moderate, or casual drinker, consuming alcohol does alcohol make you gain weight can seriously impact your waistline. That will create an unhealthy ripple effect in other areas of your life. While alcohol doesn’t necessarily affect everyone the same way, it can cause some people to gain weight due to its high-calorie content and the way it affects metabolism, hunger-hormones, and decision making.
How alcohol could cause weight gain
However, she clarified that this phenomenon is not true for everyone, and the impact of alcohol on water retention is different for different people. Right at the onset, Chaturvedi said that weight gain because of alcohol consumption is not a myth. She added that the weight gain depends on the quantity and type of alcohol being consumed.
“Beer belly” refers to that protruding stomach some men carry around. But you don’t have to be male or drink beer in order to gain weight from alcohol. Opt for low-calorie options like light beer, and skip mixed drinks with a lot of liqueur, juice, and syrup. Ensure you eat a hearty meal before going out, and keep healthy snacks on hand if you get hungry.
What is alcohol bloating?
Heavy drinking and binge drinking have been more consistently linked with adiposity. Overall, the available experimental evidence reviewed in this article suggests that moderate intake of alcohol does not lead to weight gain. The systematic review by Bendsen et al. [3•] suggests that this trend is less likely in experimental studies examining beer consumption exclusively. A modest increase in weight of one kilogram over a 10 week period seems insignificant but over five years this could result in up to 26 kg of weight gain if no compensation takes place. A summary of the studies examined in this article, organized by the trend between alcohol and weight gain/obesity can be found in Table 1. I normally believe anything NPR tells me, but I decided to do a little fact-checking.
- Pick a dry red wine or white wine and stay away from late harvest wine varietals that can contain a high amount of hidden sugars.
- It impacts our decision-making, lowers our metabolism, produces additional stress, and traps us in an unhealthy cycle of binge eating and lounging.
- Men are also much more likely to have an android fat distribution, meaning they store fat around the belly when they gain weight (23, 24).
- If you’ve ever been even a little hungover, you know how challenging it is to exercise the next day.
- They break down food into the basic macro- and micronutrients that are absorbed and used by the body.
Alcohol lowers inhibitions and can lead to poor decision-making in the heat of the moment — especially when it comes to food choices. The primary role of your liver is to act as the “filter” for any foreign substances that enter your body, such as drugs and alcohol. The liver also plays a role in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. There are also other elements that can cause weight gain outside of calorie content.
Why does alcohol cause bloating?
Also, you experience less REM sleep, meaning you can wake up exhausted. You could blame your ancestors for this as they needed a way to store energy if they didn’t always have food. It’s also important for women who are trying to get pregnant, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding, to reduce or https://ecosoberhouse.com/ cut out alcohol altogether. This leads to decreased digestive secretions and movement of food through the tract. Even the most die-hard diet fan will have a hard time fighting the urge to dig in when intoxicated. Drinks that have mixers, such as fruit juice or soda, contain even more calories.
