Why alcohol is bad for weight loss

Lots of people drink alcohol regularly and are unaware of the health implications that it has. Regularly consuming alcohol will hinder your efforts to lose weight, that is a scientific fact. If you are serious about improving your health and losing weight, you need to reduce your alcohol intake, or better yet cut alcohol out completely.

Alcohol calories are ‘empty’
Alcoholic drinks provide virtually no useful nutrients; therefore, they are referred to as ‘empty calories.’

There are almost 125 calories in a 150ml glass of red wine. To put this in perspective 650 grams of spinach contains the same number of calories as one glass of wine but is packed with goodness and around 16 grams of fibre.

Its easy to tot up a lot of calories by drinking a few glasses of wine, drink a bottle a day and you will gain around 1Lb every week. Remove that bottle a day from your diet and you will lose at least 1Lb per week.

Alcohol negatively affects digestion and nutrient uptake
Alcohol reduces digestive function, causes stress on the stomach and the intestines.

Alcohol intake of all levels can lead to impaired digestion and absorption of nutrients. This can greatly affect the metabolism of organs that play a role in weight management.

Alcohol also flushes vitamin B from your system which will impact on your bodies ability to metabolise food and turn the food into energy.

Alcohol affects your liver
Your liver acts as a filter for drugs and alcohol, as well as playing a role in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Regularly drinking alcohol can lead to what is known as alcoholic fatty liver. This damages your liver, negatively impacting on the way your body metabolises and stores carbohydrates and fats. This can make it exceedingly difficult to lose weight.

Alcohol can give you a ‘beer belly’.
Alcohol is high in simple sugars, these are easily stored as fat, consuming drinks high in sugar can quickly lead to weight gain. The body tends to accumulate fat in the abdominal area first and this generally the last area to lose it.

Alcohol gives you poor judgement
When intoxicated you will make bad food choices, think about the kebabs you eat on a night out that you would not dream of when sober.

Studies have also suggested that alcohol triggers hunger signals in the brain, leading to an increased food intake.

Alcohol and hormones
Alcohol can reduce levels of hormones in the body, especially testosterone.

Testosterone plays a role in many metabolic processes, including muscle formation and fat burning.

Low testosterone s linked to Metabolic syndrome, the features of this are:

• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• high blood sugar levels
• high body mass index

Alcohol can negatively affect your sleep
Research indicates that alcohol affect the quality of sleep. If you are tired your body produces more of the ghrelin hormone which signals your brain you need to eat.

If you want to lose weight you should cut down if not cease alcohol consumption.