Alcohol, Calories & Weight

Drinking alcohol does not contribute to weight gain, according to scientific medical research.

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The Data

Alcohol contains calories, but drinking alcohol doesn't lead to weight gain, according to extensive medical research, and many studies report a small reduction in weight for women who drink. 1

The reason that alcohol doesn't increase weight is unclear, but research suggests that alcohol energy is not efficiently used. 2 Alcohol also appears to increase metabolic rate significantly, thus causing more calories to be burned rather than stored in the body as fat. 3 Other research has found consumption of sugar to decrease as consumption of alcohol increases. 4

Whatever the reasons, the consumption of alcohol is not associated with weight gain and is often associated with weight loss in women. The medical evidence of this is based on a large number of studies of thousands of people around the world. 5 Some of these studies are very large; one involved nearly 80,000 and another included 140,000 subjects.

Alcohol beverages contain no fat, no cholesterol, and very little sodium. Of course, the nutritional value of different alcohol beverages varies.

The moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with better health and longer life than is either abstaining from alcohol or abusing alcohol. However, the health benefits of drinking are associated with moderation [learn more about Alcohol and Health]. On the other hand, heavy drinking is associated with cirrhosis of the liver, breast cancer, and other health problems. The key word is moderation.

What is Moderation?

Moderation is often described in the US as two drinks a day for a man and one drink a day for a women. These drinks can't be "saved" over time and then drunk in one day. A drink is:

Standard Drinks

Standard Drinks graphically illustrates information on the equivalence of standard drinks of beer, wine and distilled spirits or liquor. Its accuracy has been established by medical and other health professionals.

Remember that the alcohol content of standard drinks are equivalent [learn more about Alcohol Equivalence]. A drink is a drink is a drink. To a breathalyzer, they're all the same. 6 For more, visit Standard Drinks.

Most countries define moderation at higher levels of consumption than does the US. For example, Australia, Italy and France consider from 3 to over four drinks per day for men to be moderate drinking. People are all different. To decide what level is appropriate for you, consult your doctor.

 

The material on this site is for information only and is not advice.

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