In the busy life, most people think if they work hard, they can party harder. The partying is to socialize along with consumption of alcohol-based drink. Though, the whole of this could be a way to feel either relaxed or be away from the busy life inhibitions, it could lead to a binge-habit and detrimental to health.
So, Is consuming alcohol an evil? If yes, what happens? If no, can it be included in daily intake? If so, does it have calories that need to be accounted? And many questions come to our mind.
How does alcohol affect the body?
Increasing obesity leading to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, is as a result of imbalanced and overconsumption of foods with no nutrient value. Adding to this, increased alcohol intake is also another contributing factor.
But, does consumption of alcohol leads to obesity?
Actually, ‘ NO’
Alcohol doesn't get converted to fat and increase your body weight. It is the additional calorie intake along with the alcohol that raises the body fat. These additional calories come from the accompanying snacks that are calorie dense foods with no nutrient value.
Just like any food, alcohol enters into your digestive system, stomach and small intestine, but it is not broken down but absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The body now puts all the effort to remove the alcohol and hence, the liver, your natural ‘detox organ’ will work hard to metabolize the alcohol and remove the substances formed (metabolites) and other toxic substances from the body. Though occasional consumption of alcohol doesn't have immediate effect on the body systems or organs, daily intake in larger amounts or increased intake of alcohol (binge-drinking) would lead to a condition called ‘fatty liver’ or liver damage and also can lead to eating disorders (more in women).
Presence of alcohol in high concentrations in the body would also lead to inhibition of certain hormones that help with the water balance. This results in increased excretion of urine, which is again as a result of removing the toxic substances formed by alcohol from your body.
Long-term consumption of alcohol might lead to binge-drinking. The nutrients, in particular few of vitamins or minerals, might not be absorbed properly by the body, leading to deficiencies after a period of time.
Calories in alcohol
How to calculate the calories in different types of alcohol beverages?
Though alcohol have calories, they do not provide any nutrients or energy to the body. These are called ‘empty calories’.
| 1 gm of alcohol ~ 7 kcal |
|---|
But when you want to include alcohol and count in your daily calorie intake, substitute it as any one of the macronutrient, carbohydrate, or fat or both.
Assuming 30 ml of wine/beer contains 130 calories, one can calculate either of the ways,
- Divide 130 by 4 (1g of carbohydrate= 4 kcal) = 32.5 g of carbohydrate
- Divide 130 by 9 (1g of fat = 9 kcal) = 14.4 g of fats
Balance the quantity calculated in either of the above macronutrient in daily calorie intake.
But, can this be followed every day? Be smart in choosing healthier food choices to maintain health in the longer run, and indulge in alcohol during occasions.
Alcohol and weight loss
Alcohol influences the metabolism by reducing the energy expenditure in all three factors, BMR, TEF and physical activity. When a person is in fat loss/weight loss phase, as long as calorie deficit is on point along with all other factors in check, alcohol can be included (but cautious). But if higher intakes of it and more calorie consumption due to behavior change, it can affect the progress towards the goal, and it will be detrimental for health. Those who involve in high intensity activities, their performance can be reduced as well.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that ‘ excessive alcohol intake impact the health ’. Be smart in picking alcohol as an occasional drink, add zero calories beverages wherever necessary, be aware of excess consumption of high calorie food with it, and enjoy the time socializing but with caution.
This information is not intended to advocate that alcohol can be consumed daily, even within the daily calorie intake, but to share the information on how it can be consumed along with being more cautious about health.
References
- Barry, A. E. and Merianos, A. L. (2016) ‘Alcohol as Food/Calories’, Current Addiction Reports, 3(1), pp. 85–90. doi: 10.1007/s40429-016-0085-z.
