Low carb diets gained popularity around the world among those who want to lose weight and improve health. Such a diet involves reducing the consumption of carbohydrate foods (baking, starchy vegetables, and the like) with emphasis on proteins and fats.
Is it possible to drink alcohol? – one of the first questions that arises for so many reasons. To adhere to a certain diet to know the answer to it is especially important, as poor awareness can negate all the efforts. Let us examine this issue in detail, using materials of the portal HealthLine.
Alcohol is rich in carbohydrates
Many alcoholic beverages contain lots of carbohydrates, some of these substances more than in lemonade or desserts. A typical example is beer, the most important components of which are carbohydrates. Typically, the portion 355 ml contains 3-12 mg of carbohydrate, the exact amount depends on many factors.
Cocktails are also dangerous for people who avoid carbohydrates, because they can be large amounts of sugar and related substances. Here are a few examples for comparison.
Alcohol contains empty calories
About the empty calories they say, when the product is high calorie, but very low in nutrients needed by the body. Passion like food and drinks leads to weight gain and lack of nutrients.
Alcohol ranks second to calorie after fat, one gram, when broken down, yields seven calories. That is, one serving a day adds hundreds of calories which account for not a lot of nutrients.
Alcohol contributes to weight gain
Studies have shown that alcohol interferes with weight loss. When a person drinks alcohol, the body tries to digest it, thereby slowing down the metabolism, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. This leads to an increase in body fat.
Alcohol slows down the breakdown of fats and accelerates the synthesis of fatty acids, increasing the accumulation of fat in the liver. Many studies have shown that alcohol consumption, regardless of the content of carbohydrates in it, leads to weight gain.
There are alternatives with low carb diet
Certain types of alcohol in moderation can fit a low-carb diet. For example, a portion of light beer or wine contains only 3-4 g. In pure strong alcohol (vodka, gin, whiskey), almost no carbs.
Insights
Thus, some types of alcohol may correspond to a low-carb diet. However, they can be used in very small amounts, no more than 1-2 servings per day (1 portion is approximately 14 grams of pure alcohol). We should not forget about calories of any alcohol and the many problems associated with its use.
Ukrainian Andrei