Calorie Content Of Alcohol
A trusted companion for sporting events, parties and dates, alcohol plays a relatively major role in most of our lives. Despite the fact that we can endure rigorous fitness and diet regimens, alcohol is the one habit that many of us find hard to officially kick.
What you don't realize is that a couple of beers one night, a glass of wine the next and a few cocktails on the weekend all contribute to your spare tire. Knowing the calorie content of alcohol will arm you with all of the nutritional facts related to your favorite drinks and possibly avoiding some unsightly love handles.
alcohol and your bodyWhen alcohol enters the body, it is given "first-class" treatment. This doesn't mean that it's giving your body what it needs, but that it is metabolized and absorbed more quickly than anything else in your body.
When you have a drink, your body converts a small amount of the alcohol consumed into fat. The rest — the large majority of it — is converted by the liver into a substance called acetate. Acetate is released into the bloodstream and is used as the body's primary source of fuel and energy.
Seems good that the body is burning the alcohol, right? Think again. Your body is using the alcohol and not the stored fat in your body as energy. Not to mention that the unused alcohol calories are also being stored as fat.
Recent studies have shown that some men have a gene that makes them especially susceptible to abdominal weight gain. If you're one of these unlucky guys, you are even more likely to develop a gut from the calorie content of alcohol.
BeerIt has been said that "real men drink beer." The person who coined this catchy phrase forgot to mention that drinking too much beer makes a real fat man.
Although a single beer is not excessively high in calories (compared to a cheeseburger or a milkshake, for example), it is often difficult to stop at just one. And if you drink beer several nights a week, the calories add up quickly. Even if you exercise and eat right, beer can definitely cause you to gain weight. Here are some examples of your favorite beers and how they measure up in terms of calories and carbs. Keep in mind that there is no fat in beer.
Note: All figures are based on a 12-ounce beer. If you drink from a pint glass, which is roughly 16 ounces, the calorie content of alcohol increases.
Our review of the calorie content of alcohol continues with wine and cocktails...