Can You Drink Alcohol If You Are On A Diet?

Low-carb diets are gaining popularity around the world for those looking to lose weight and improve health. You need to know how alcohol can harm these goals.

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Low-carb diets are gaining popularity around the world for those looking to lose weight and improve health. Such a diet involves reducing the consumption of carbohydrate foods (baked goods, starchy vegetables and the like) with an emphasis on proteins and fats.

"Is it possible to drink alcohol at the same time?" - one of the first questions that arises on very many occasions. It is especially important for dieters to know the answer to it, since poor awareness can negate all efforts. We will analyze this issue in detail using the materials of the HealthLine portal.

Alcohol is rich in carbohydrates

Many alcoholic beverages are high in carbohydrates, some of which contain more of these substances than lemonade or desserts. A typical example is beer, the most important components of which are carbohydrates. Typically a 355 ml serving contains 3-12 mg of carbohydrates, the exact amount depends on many factors.

Cocktails are also “dangerous” for people who avoid carbohydrates as they can be high in sugar and related substances. Here are some examples for comparison.

Drink	A portion	Amount of carbohydrates
Beer	355 ml	12 g
Margarita	240 ml	13 g
Bloody Mary	240 ml	10 g
Daiquiri	200 ml	33 g
Whiskey with lemon juice	104 ml	14 g
Pina colada	133 ml	32 g
Tequila Sunrise	200 ml	24 g

Alcohol contains empty calories

Empty calories are spoken of when a food is high in calories but very poor in nutrients the body needs. Passion for these foods and drinks leads to weight gain and lack of nutrients.

Alcohol ranks second in calories after fat, with one gram of digestion giving seven calories. That is, one serving per day adds hundreds of calories, which account for very few nutrients.

Alcohol contributes to weight gain

Studies have shown that alcohol abuse interferes with weight loss. When a person drinks alcohol, the body tries to break it down, thereby slowing down the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. This leads to an increase in body fat.

Alcohol abuse slows down the breakdown of fats and speeds up the synthesis of fatty acids by increasing the accumulation of fat in the liver. Also, many studies have shown that alcohol consumption, regardless of its carbohydrate content, leads to weight gain.

There are low carb alternatives

Certain types of alcohol in moderation may be appropriate for a low-carb diet. For example, a portion of light beer or wine contains only 3-4 g. Pure strong alcohol (vodka, gin, whiskey) contains practically no carbohydrates.

conclusions

Thus, certain types of alcohol may fit a low-carb diet. However, they can be consumed in very small quantities, no more than 1-2 servings per day (1 serving is about 14 g of pure alcohol). Do not forget about the calorie content of any alcohol and the many problems associated with its use.