What’s Alcohol-Induced Weight Gain? Understanding the Science

Hello Ziddis! We all have grown up hearing alcohol is a bad substance and we should refrain from it. As we grew older we started lobbying for alcohol saying a glass of wine is good for the heart, beer is good for kidneys and so on. But let us understand what is the actual truth behind this. Is alcohol all bad or a little good? Does it make you put on weight? Don’t worry. In this blog, we will try to answer most of these questions liked alcohol benefits for you.

Does Alcohol Have Any Benefits At All?

Let us cut to the chase and not debate about the goodness or evils of alcohol. Does alcohol have any benefits whatsoever? Yes, it does! It is worth mentioning that a regulated, moderate amount of alcohol consumption does have benefits. Studies have shown some alcohols like red wine are enriched with antioxidants. How it helps our body is for us to explore later on but this quality can help us relax and form better social bonds if consumed in an acceptable quantity. It also reduces stress levels and helps fall asleep.

Does Alcohol Make You Fat?

While alcohol itself does not contain fats it is very high in calories and can lead to some fat gain. 1gm of alcohol contains 7 calories and that is as calorie-dense as fats which have about 9 calories per gram. But leaving aside the raw calories that directly add into to our intake, when we drink alcohol our liver ends up giving more preference to breaking down that alcohol instead of focusing on the metabolism of other nutrients like carbs and direct fats. This can make the fat metabolism slower by a margin and cause the fat to accumulate near the abdomen area. This causes weight gain.

Interestingly because beer is one of the most fatening alcohols, this phenomenon of fat storage and increase in tummy size is called having a Beer Belly.

How Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain?

Now let us understand in-depth how alcohol causes weight gain. Several factors explain how alcohol can lead to weight gain:

• Increased Caloric Intake: Alcohol has loads of calories that do not have any nutritional benefit for the body hence these are also known as empty calories. An average glass of beer can have up to 150 calories easily which adds up to your intake. Imagine the amount of calories you may end up adding on a night out!
• Reduced Fat Metabolism: Alcohol confuses your body, especially the liver which is in charge of metabolism and instead keeps it busy trying to process alcohol. The unprocessed fat now moves and settles near the abdomen making you gain weight.
• Increased Appetite: Alcohol can give you serious hunger pangs because it affects hormones related to hunger and satiety. 
• Slower Digestion: Because of all the above reasons, baseline digestion is highly impacted and the necessary nutrients are not absorbed properly into the body. 

Beer: The Alcohol for Weight Gain

Beer is the most infamous culprit among alcoholic drinks to cause weight gain. This is because beer has tonnes of carbs along with the empty fats in alcohol. This makes beer double the trouble drink of choice for your waistline. You can end up having a “beer belly” if you are not careful how many bottles you down. Frequent beer drinkers are often found with a huge round belly because they struggle with fat getting stored in the belly area. Beer can also cause bloating, fluid retention and sluggish feeling and all of this adds up to weight gain.

5 Positive Effects of Alcohol

While we have focused majorly on the ills of alcohol and how it makes you gain weight there are some positive effects it has as well if consumed in moderation.

• Heart Health: Red wine is considered to have a positive effect on heart health.
• Kidney Stone Relief: Beer is said to be suggested by doctors to treat kidney stones naturally.
• Social Bonding: Alcohol can potentially make one more confident to interact socially.
• Stress Reduction: A glass of wine helps as a relaxant after a long day
• Improved Circulation: Moderate alcohol intake has been linked to improved circulation, potentially lowering the risk of blood clots.
• Enhanced Mood: Alcohol triggers the release of a feel-good hormone, dopamine which uplifts our mood.

Conclusion

Alcohol in itself can not be termed as good or bad. It all depends on how well one takes it. If taken in moderation it can have positive effects. But the truth remains that some alcoholic drinks have too many empty calories which will lead to weight gain. So self-control is very essential to make sure you do not cross the line. Limiting alcohol, opting for lower-calorie drinks and balancing it with healthy food and movement can help cover up for the negative impact alcohol may have on your weight.