Alcohol consumption, regardless of the type, can make you gain weight. Basically, alcohol has more calories than our body should intake. Calories from alcohol are called “empty calories,” which means they have no nutritional value. Though some alcohol has vitamins and minerals, it’s still not enough to supplement our diet. According to experts, pure alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, so imagine how many calories you usually intake when you drink a bottle of beer or a few shots of alcohol. So, does alcohol make you gain weight? The answer is definitely YES. Drinking alcohol in large amounts can actually contribute to weight gain.
Facts about Alcohol
- In the US alone, alcohol is the most commonly consumed drink that has an addictive substance and binge drinking starting from age 12 was already reported.
- 1 out of 10 households has a family member that’s alcohol-dependent, which leads to family problems and household destruction.
- Excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages can lead to serious diseases and eventually, death.
- Alcohol has different effects with men and women, and men have the highest percentage in gaining weight than women.
- The most affected organ in our body when we drink excessively is our liver because it’s where alcohol is processed and converted into energy so fats stored in your body is not used, which leads to a fatty liver disease because it stored all the other fats from your body.
- Habitual drinking can lead to faster aging. You will notice dryness of your skin since alcohol can also make you feel dehydrated. Bloating and wrinkles will also be noticed as you continue your drinking habit.
Alcohol and Weight Gain
Does alcohol make you gain weight? This is commonly asked by people who like drinking alcohol but is also conscious of their body weight and shape. Well, there are lots of contributing factors and details that answer this question. Among others are:
- Alcohol increases your appetite. It’s proven that alcohol can lead to hunger and even if you already ate a lot, there’s still this feeling of less satiety, which makes you eat more. Our body has a hormone called Leptin, which helps regulate the appetite and, therefore, decreasing hunger. Studies found that a person’s leptin level decreases during alcohol intake. That’s why you always feel hungry when you’re drunk.
- You consume lots of calories from drinking alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the more calories you take into your system. The calories from your alcohol intake can prevent your body to burn the calories from the foods that you eat, as well as the body fats when drinking. This can lead to what we call the “beer belly”.
- You tend to snack more when you’re drinking alcohol. When you’re sober, you already feel full after eating one slice of pizza. But when you’re drinking alcohol, it seems that you’re still not satisfied even after finishing half of the pizza, which leads to weight gain.
- Alcohol affects your digestion. Drinking alcohol can cause disturbances in your gut, which leads to slower digestion and absorption of the nutrients needed by your body. Poor digestion and nutrient absorption can slow down your metabolism, which plays a major role in weight management.
- Drinking alcohol can lead to poor food choices. As mentioned, alcohol can increase your appetite and does not satiate your hunger which could eventually lead to increased food cravings especially those foods that are high in fats and sugar but very low in nutritional value.
- Alcohol can alter our gym routine. When we drink alcohol, we feel sluggish and tired the day after. So, instead of heading out to the gym for our scheduled workout session, we just feel the need to stay at home and just slouch on the couch and watch our favorite programs the whole day while bingeing on different types of food to make us feel better.
We drink alcohol for a variety of reasons, and alcohol is always present in almost every occasion that’s why it’s really hard to steer away from it most of the time. Nowadays, you can see people drinking alcohol regardless of their age and from all walks of life. There are lots of scary facts and assumptions from drinking alcohol. While it may lead to very negative effects on our body, you don’t have to ditch alcohol entirely to maintain your gorgeous bod. You can still drink alcohol but take note — it should be in moderation. In doing this, especially for heavy drinkers, you really should have a strong will-power and lots of discipline. A supportive family and friends will also help you in having a tip-top shape and a healthy, well-balanced life.
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