Alcohol and Its Impact on the Body by Aliza Beer, MS RD

Health & F tness Alcohol and Its Impact On the Body

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

Let’s explore if and how alcohol has a place in a healthy diet.

The general recommendation is that women should consume no more than one alcoholic drink each day and that men shouldn’t consume more than two alcoholic drinks daily. One standard alcoholic beverage in the U.S. is equal to 14g of pure alcohol, which is found in a 5 oz. serving of wine, a 12 oz. beer, or 1.5 oz. of spirits like vodka or tequila. There are different types of alcohol and each one has its benefits and possible risks. The key is to find the type of alcohol that aligns with your goals and to make sure you have a healthy relationship with alcohol.

The Benefits of Alcohol

1. Balances blood sugar: Research has shown that moderate alcohol consumption can lower the risk of type-2 diabetes. Alcohol increases the levels of a hormone that improves insulin sensitivity. This hormone makes it simpler for the body to process glucose. It makes the process more efficient, which reduces the amount of sugar in the blood, thereby decreasing the risk of developing diabetes.

However, it is important to limit alcohol to one drink a day for women and two for men. Excess alcohol intake will do the opposite. Beer and sweet wine could raise blood sugar, and other types of alcohol in large amounts could decrease your blood sugar level. 2. Good for your brain: Consuming a normal amount of alcohol (1 drink/day for women and 2 for men) can decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia. 3. Boosts mental health: When you first drink the alcoholic beverage, the brain releases more dopamine, the chemical linked to pleasure. Therefore, drinking occasionally can improve mental health, make you more relaxed, and improve your mood. 4. Healthy for the heart: If a person is healthy, drinking alcohol moderately decreases the risk of a heart attack by 25-40%. Drinking moderately, according to the National Institute on Alcoholism, means drinking a maximum of three alcoholic drinks for women and four alcoholic drinks for men in a single day. Please note that this recommendation is on the higher end and that one should still stick to the general recommendation of one serving for women and two servings for men per day. The reason for this is that alcohol increases the amount of good cholesterol in the body, which contributes to a healthier heart. However, if a person drinks heavily, it can increase their risk of heart disease.

The Drawbacks of Consuming Alcohol

Drinking a lot of alcohol can be detrimental to your health. It may lead to many easily avoidable issues. 1. Heart damage: Drinking too much can lead to heart muscle damage, high blood pressure, and an irregular heartbeat. 2. Lowers immune system: Overdrinking weakens the immune system and makes a person much more vulnerable to disease. 3. Stroke: Alcohol causes blood pressure and high triglycerides, which both can increase the risk of having a stroke. 4. Liver problems: Heavy drinking – consuming more than three or more alcoholic beverages a day for women and more than four for men – can be detrimental to your liver health. Liver disease is caused by this and can lead to liver failure, which can be fatal. There are different stages of liver disease, and alcohol worsens it. Although less than these amounts of alcoholic beverages aren’t considered heavy drinking, it is best to stick to the recommendation of not more than 1 drink a day for women and 2 for men. 5. Cancer: Alcohol is labeled a human carcinogen by the U.S. government. Therefore, the overconsumption of alcoholic beverages can lead to different types of cancer. 6. Pancreatitis: Pancreatitis, a dangerous swelling of the blood vessels in

the pancreas, impedes digestion. Alcohol makes the pancreas produce unhealthy toxins that lead to this. This is usually caused by drinking 4-5 drinks daily. 7. Alcohol slows the ability to heal: Because alcohol is a toxin, it causes dehydration and inhibits the body’s healing process.

The Nutritional Content of Alcohol

1. Regular Beer: a 12 oz. serving of regular beer contains 153 calories and 13g of carbs. 2. Light beer: 12 oz. of light beer contains 103 calories and 6g of carbs, making it a better alternative to regular beer. 3. Gin: a 1.5 oz. serving of gin has 110 calories and 0g of carbs. 4. Whiskey: a single shot of whiskey contains 105 calories and 0g of carbs. 5. Vodka: a 1.5 oz. serving of vodka has 97 calories and 15g of carbs. 6. Tequila: a 1.5 oz. serving of tequila has 99 calories and 5g of carbs. Tequila has 1/3 the number of carbs compared to vodka but contains more than gin and whiskey. 7. Coffee liqueur: a 1.5 oz. serving of coffee liqueur has 175 calories and 25g of carbs.

8. Red wine: a 5 oz. serving of red wine has 125 calories 4g of carbs, and 4g of sugar. 9. White wine: a 5 oz. serving of white wine has 120 calories, 3g of carbs, and 3g of sugar. 10. Champagne: a 5 oz. serving of champagne has 125 calories, 3-6g carbs, and 2-5g sugar, depending on how dry it is.

Alcohol differs from food because al-

When too much alcohol is consumed, the alcohol could damage the organs that help absorb it.

cohol is not digested like food. Instead, alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream. The liver is the organ that metabolizes alcohol. The body takes about 30 minutes to absorb an alcoholic beverage, and 60 minutes when drinking on a full stomach. When too much alcohol is consumed, the alcohol could damage the organs that help absorb it. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies like vitamin B12, vitamin A, magnesium, thiamin, folate, potassium, and calcium. Each of these vitamins and minerals have unique functions that help the body work properly.

Alcohol is a toxin, and our bodies are designed to eliminate toxins. To prevent intoxication, the body begins eliminating alcohol before it even gets into the general circulation.

Alcohol is very caloric, as it contains 7

calories per gram. Additionally, research shows that when alcohol is consumed with a meal, food intake increases by up to 30%.

Some alcoholic drinks are better than others. Red wine contains high amounts of antioxidants, making it a better choice than other types.

Drinking small amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, is linked to a few health benefits. However, alcohol addiction is widespread and can lead to many detrimental effects. The key to healthy alcohol use is to drink moderately and to choose low-calorie, low-carb, and low-sugar alcoholic beverages. Mixed drinks can contain many calories and a significant amount of added sugar. Similarly, beer has a lot of sugar and carbohydrates. Red wine, tequila, and whiskey are better options, compared to beer and mixed drinks. A tequila soda, skinny mojito, and spiked seltzer are low-sugar alcoholic beverages that could replace the high-calorie ones.

There are many different alcoholic beverages with different nutritional profiles. Alcohol, when consumed moderately, can be a part of a healthy lifestyle.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @ alizabeer