I. Alcohol Reduces Weight Gain.
Alcohol reduces weight gain among women. (Sorry, guys.) Women who consume one or two alcoholic drinks daily gain less weight during mid-life. That’s in comparison with alcohol abstainers. Medical researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston published their findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The Study
Investigators examined if alcohol reduces weight gain among women. Doctors have widely reported that it does. To do so, investigators studied over 19,000 women aged 38.9 years or older. The womens’ weight was initially in the normal range. The study recorded information about the diets and lifestyles of the women for nearly 13 years.
The doctors adjusted for age, baseline weight, smoking, non-alcohol energy intake, physical activity level, and other dietary and lifestyle factors. Women who consumed one or two drinks daily were at least 30% less likely to gain weight. That is, over the period of the study.
These findings held among subgroups of women based on age, smoking, level of physical activity, and initial weight.
There was an inverse relationship between amount of alcohol consumed and weight. That is, the more alcohol women drank, the lower was their weight.
Alcohol, Calories and Weight: Surprising Facts Unknown to Most M.Ds.
Findings are Consistent
These research findings are consistent with those of other investigations.
The authors note that women had a substantial increase in energy expenditure after drinking. This suggests that women might experience a net loss of calories after drinking alcohol. This may account for the fact that drinkers were much less likely to gain weight. However, researchers don’t know for sure why drinking alcohol reduces weight gain among women.
Alcohol Promotes Health
The moderate consumption of alcohol is also associated with better health and longer life. That’s in comparison with either abstaining from alcohol or abusing it. Furthermore, this applies equally to wine, spirits (liquor), and beer.
Standard drinks of beer, wine, and spirits contain the same amount of pure alcohol. To be specific, it’s 0.06 of an ounce. In addition, they have equivalent health and longevity benefits.
Standard Drinks
A standard drink refers to a
12-ounce bottle or can of regular beer- five-ounce glass of dinner wine
- shot of liquor or spirits (one and one-half ounces). Either straight or in a mixed drink.
They’re all the same to a breathalyzer as well as to both good health and long life.
Healthful Content of Beverages
The following list presents the calories, carbs and fat found in standard servings of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
| Beverage | Calories | Carbs (grams) | Fat (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic | |||
| Beer (regular) | 146 | 13.13 | 0.000 |
| Beer (lite) | 99 | 4.60 | 0.000 |
| All Distilled Spirits (rum, vodka, whiskey, gin, tequila, bourbon, etc.) | 97 | 0.00 | 0.000 |
| Wine (red) | 125 | 3.5 | 0.000 |
| Wine (white) | 120 | 3.5 | 0.000 |
| Non-Alcoholic | |||
| Apple juice (unsweetened) | 117 | 28.96 | 0.273 |
| Apricot juice | 140 | 36.11 | 0.226 |
| Carbonated cola | 155 | 39.77 | 0.000 |
| Grape juice (unsweetened) | 155 | 37.84 | 0.202 |
| Grapefruit juice (unsweetened) | 94 | 22.13 | 0.247 |
| Lemonade | 131 | 34.05 | 0.149 |
| Milk (2% fat) | 122 | 11.41 | 4.807 |
| Orange juice (unsweetened) | 112 | 26.84 | 0.149 |
| Prune juice | 182 | 44.67 | 0.077 |
| Tangerine juice (unsweetened) | 125 | 29.88 | 0.098 |
| Tomato juice | 41 | 10.30 | 0.122 |
| Source: U.S. Dept Ag. | |||
Calories
Clearly, most alcohol beverages contain fewer calories than most non-alcohol beverages. Nevertheless, some people are still concerned about gaining weight from drinking them. However, alcohol contains no fat and is very low in carbohydrates. Additionally, it appears that the “effective” calories in alcohol are substantially lower than the numbers listed.
The bottom line is simple. Women who have one or two drinks of alcohol gain much less weight than do alcohol abstainers.
II. Resources: Alcohol Reduces Weight Gain
Internet
- Drinking Alcohol and Weight, Obesity and BMI
- Alcohol, Calories and Weight: Surprising Facts Unknown to Most M.D.s
- WeightWatchers Approves Drinking Alcohol
- Alcohol and Health
Books
- Bodzak, C. Eat with Intention. NY: Race Point, 2016.
- Cheskin, L., et al. Nutrition and weight control. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Med., 2011.
- Katzen, M. and Willett, W. Eat, Drink & Weigh Less. N.Y: Hyperion, 2006.
Medical Articles: Alcohol Reduces Weight Gain
- Arif, A.A., and Rohrer, J.E. Patterns of alcohol drinking and its association with obesity. BMC Pub Health, 2005, 5(5), 126.
- Berkey, C.S., et al. Weight gain in older adolescent females: the internet, sleep, coffee, and alcohol. J Ped, 2008, 153(5), 639.
- Colditz, G., et al. Alcohol intake in relation to diet and obesity. Am J Clin Nutr, 1991, 54, 49-55.
- Gruchow, H.W., et al. Alcohol consumption, nutrient intake and relative body weight. Am J Clin Nutr, 1985, 42, 289-295.
- Hellerstedt, W. L., et al. The association between alcohol intake and adiposity. Am J Epi, 1990, 132(4), 594-611.
- Istvan, J., et al. The relationship between patterns of alcohol consumption and body weight. Int J Epi, 1995, 24(3), 543-546.
- Jequier, E. Alcohol intake and body weight: a paradox. Am J Clin Nutr, 1999, 69, 173-174.
- Liu, S., et al. A prospective study of alcohol intake and change in body weight among US adults. Am J Clin Nutr, 1994, 140(10), 912-920.
- Mannisto, E., et al. Reported alcohol intake, diet and body mass index in male smokers. Eur J Clin Nutr, 1996, 50, 239-245.
- Mannisto, S., et al. Alcohol beverage drinking, diet and body mass index in a cross-national survey, Eur J Clin Nutr, 1997, 151, 326-332.
- Prentice, A. Alcohol and obesity. Int J Obes, 1995, 19(Suppl. 5), S44-S50.
- Smith, R. Alcohol Consumption Does not Promote Weight Gain in Female Mice. Thesis. U Texas at Austin, 2007.
- Sung, K., et al. Relationship among alcohol, body weight, and cardiovascular risk factors in 27,030 Korean men. Diab Care, 2007, 30(10), 2690-2694.
- Wang, L, et al. Alcohol consumption, weight gain, and risk of becoming overweight in middle-aged and older women. Arch Int Med, 2010, 170(5), 453-461.
- Wannamethee, S., et al. Alcohol intake and 8-year weight gain in women. Obes Res 2004, 12, 1386-1396.