Still, research has linked excess alcohol use to poor sleep duration and quality. People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have a higher insomnia risk than others. After a few drinks, you may be more likely to make unhealthy food choices without thinking about it. In other words, elevated cortisol could contribute to weight gain, especially around the belly.

Gut health

The systematic review by Bendsen et al. 3• suggests that this trend is less likely in experimental studies examining beer consumption exclusively. A modest increase in weight of one kilogram over a 10 week period seems insignificant but over five years this could result in up to 26 kg of weight gain if no compensation takes place. A summary of the studies examined in this article, organized by the trend between alcohol and weight gain/obesity can be found in Table 1.

Alcohol spikes cortisol levels in your body.

It does contain small amounts of potassium, phosphorus, can drinking alcohol make you gain weight copper, and vitamin C, but most calories come from alcohol and carbs. One gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, while the same amount of alcohol delivers 7 calories, according to the University of California, Los Angeles. These numbers can add up quickly, especially if you’re binge drinking. Some studies suggest that drinking red wine, particularly in the evening, can reduce belly fat over time.

Drinking Wine for Weight Loss

“This is why some alcoholic drinks are called an aperitif,” Dr Zoe tells us. “They are intended to stimulate the appetite before a meal.” Drink less, and you’ll probably eat less too. Other types of alcohol like spirits and wine have fewer calories per standard drink than beer. This means they may be less likely to cause weight gain and belly fat.

Wine Headaches & 7 Ways to Prevent Them

• So, your system prioritizes getting rid of alcohol before it can turn its attention to its other work.
• Most consider an occasional glass of wine fine on the paleo diet, too.
• As with cross-sectional studies, the way by which alcohol intake is measured and categorized likely influences the interpretation of the results.

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How to Find the Healthiest Wines

Alcohol has been shown to disrupt neurotransmitters, which can elevate the risk of anxiety, depression, impulsivity and psychosis over time, says Diaz. Chronic alcohol consumption can also lead to a deficiency in vitamin B1 (thiamine), potentially resulting in serious neurological disorders like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, she adds. “Long-term heavy drinking may contribute to cognitive decline and increase the risk of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” adds Andrews. What this means is that beer can make you gain weight by affecting your body’s ability to burn fat.

Too much cortisol, however, encourages fat storage in the body (particularly in your mid-section) and is the hormone responsible for lowering testosterone levels. Cortisol plays an important role in helping to regulate blood sugar and fight inflammation in the body. This is because alcohol activates starvation mode in the brain, which is why you may suddenly catch yourself eating an entire bag of Doritos after a long night out as if your life depended on it.