Does alcohol make you fat? It’s a tricky question. According to researchers some alcoholic beverages are better for your health and waist line than others. Also, it depends how much you drink. No one wants to have a beer belly, but drinking in moderation or having alcohol if you don’t have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism will not make you fat.
According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, drinking alcohol in moderation could actually prevent weight gain. They followed 20,000 women. Women who did not drink or drank the least amount gained the most amount of weight.
Does alcohol make you fat?
Women who drank two or three drinks a day gained the least amount of weight, gaining 3.4 pounds in 13 years compared to those who did not drink. The non-drinkers gained 8 pounds on average.
For years we have been told drinking on a diet is bad. Recent studies have also indicated people who drink white wine tend to eat fewer carbohydrates, which leads to weight loss.
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity looked at people on a portion controlled diet of 1,500 calories a day. One group took in 150 calories from grape juice, while the other group took in 150 calories from drinking white wine. The white wine drinkers lost 10.4 pounds while the grape juice drinkers lost 8.3 pounds during the three month study,
Best drinks on a diet
The best drinks on a diet include red or white wine, wine spritzers that mix wine with flavored waters such as La Croix, Pierrier mineral water or Syfo. I personally like sparkling wines such as Cook’s extra dry champagne.
Skinny mixed drinks are also becoming popular. If you don’t want to make a skinny margarita at home, you can get a Skinny Bee Margarita at Applebee’s with only 100 calories. Bethenny Frankel’s skinny margarita recipe is not that complicated either. You can make any variation using squeezed limes, lime seltzer and a shot of tequila.
Health benefits of alcohol
Some people don’t believe drinking alcohol can be a part of eating clean. But I think it’s fine if you stick with wines as opposed to mixed drinks.
Most of us have heard of the health benefits of red wine but are there any health benefits to alcohol in general?
White wine contains flavanoids that act as antioxidants to prevent cancer. White wine is good for the lungs according to a study from University at Buffalo. Red wine in moderation is good for the heart.
Red wine also contains resveratrol, which contains age defying properties. The best wines for resveratrol content are red wines made from Muscadine grapes which are native to Florida. Also, Pinot Noir wines are a good choice for resveratrol content.
When it comes to weight loss, alcohol can be a healthy part of your diet as long as you don’t drink more than 2 or 3 glasses of wine a day. Also, don’t opt for mixed drinks with high sugar content or diet soda that uses artificial sweeteners.
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