London, UK Posted 2 years, 12 months ago
Sugar and Calories in Alcohol and Non-Alcoholic Drinks
When many of us start to address our drinking behaviours, it is also part of a broader aim of improving our overall health. For many, weight and diet play a role in this desire for change. So it’s only natural that we begin to worry about the amount of sugar and calories in alcohol. Funny though, that we can happily share a bottle of wine in a restaurant, and then start to worry about sugar in alcohol-free drinks on the days that we choose not to drink.
When looking at alcohol-free alternatives, it’s important to think about the type of sugars we are consuming and make our decisions based on concrete information. We hope this blog will help you to do exactly that.
What does alcohol do to our weight?
The effects of alcohol on our weight are two-fold, as it affects our ability to make healthful choices. Have you ever driven to work instead of walking because of a hangover? Alcohol also affects the way in which we choose our foods, and how our bodies burns calories.
We all know that once you’ve had a few drinks you are far less likely to prepare a nutritious meal. You will likely end up skipping dinner or reaching for fast and convenient foods. These are likely to be higher in saturated fats and more calorie-dense. This, combined with the calories we are drinking will easily push us over our recommended calorie intake for the day.
Your body burns off calories from alcohol before burning calories in food. Let’s say you drink 100ml of beer, and eat 100g of stew. Your body is going to attend to breaking down the calories from the alcohol before it turns its attention to dealing with the stew. If you’re drinking regularly, your body may not be effectively burning through food calories and will store these as fat.
The enzyme Aldh1a1 is responsible for converting alcohol to fat, and this fat builds up around your essential organs. This effect of this enzyme is suppressed by oestrogen. You may notice that men tend to gain a ‘beer belly’ at any age as their oestrogen levels are low, whereas women may feel that fat piles on faster around the waist as they go through menopause and oestrogen levels dip.
What about sugar?
You may experience cravings for sweet things when you stop drinking alcohol. This is because alcohol gives you a dopamine hit and affects your brain chemistry. Sugar can have a similar effect on your energy, elevating your mood; think about the dreaded sugar high that kids get after too many sweets. When your brain is crying out for the buzz that alcohol gives you, the logical alternative may be to reach for something sweet instead.
Alcohol also has an effect on your blood sugar, your glucose level. It causes almost immediate spikes in your blood sugar, but also has a stimulating effect on the pancreas, causing it to secrete too much insulin. This can add up to weight gain, but most importantly it can cause hypoglycaemia – low blood sugar. That’s why you want a kebab when you head home, or a fizzy pop when you’re hungover. It takes time to rebalance your blood sugar levels.
You might find yourself eating more when you stop drinking. Alcohol can be satiating and filling, you may even have drunk when you were actually hungry. When you stop doing this, your body probably tells you it’s hungry more frequently.
But aren’t some sugars good for me?
Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in honey, vine fruits, berries, and most root vegetables. It is an important carbohydrate, your liver converts it into glucose so your body can use it as fuel. But fructose also exists commercially and is bonded with other types of sugars. It is added to products such as fruit juice, and foods that require browning. Fructose is also the sugar used to create high-fructose corn syrup. While in its natural form it can be a good sugar, too much of it can cause other issues.
Fructose is only partially absorbed in the small intestine, and will then travel to the large intestine. Here it will ferment. Long story short, this can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, gassiness, diarrhoea, and stomach pain.
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