Alcohol is less fattening than you think | Health & Fitness | Life | Toronto Sun

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Despite its high calorie count, alcohol (ethanol) is not considered to be an interesting source of energy and is therefore metabolized differently than food. This different metabolism explains the results of recent research that suggests moderate alcohol consumption is not associated with being overweight, but rather with a reduction in body weight.

Even if the term calorie is not a very popular word, it is a way of measuring the amount of energy found in the foods that we eat. All substances contain carbon atoms that contain energy in the form of calories: for example, each gram of sugar or protein contains four calories, while fats and alcohol contain nine and seven calories respectively. This energy is used sparingly by our metabolism and ultimately converted into ATP, the biochemical fuel used to keep the organism functioning. The excess calories are not wasted and are stockpiled for future use, primarily in the form of fats. From a metabolic point of view, the presence of excess weight is always a sign of excess calorie intake compared to the actual needs of the body.

DIFFERENT METABOLISM

A glass of wine (150 ml) contains 120 calories, while a bottle of beer contains 150, or as much as a can of pop. Considering the high calorie count, it is assumed that the consumption of alcohol is closely related to an increase in energy and an increased risk of gaining extra weight. While logical in theory, this theory doesn't add up to the metabolic reality. In most epidemiological studies, it has been observed that the waist measurement of people who drink alcohol is no higher than that of non-drinkers. More often than not, moderate drinkers will even have a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is less than the average.

A recent study conducted using 20,000 American women aged 39 and over showed that moderate alcohol consumption causes no added weight gain. In fact, it was associated with a 25% reduction in the risk of becoming overweight, and a 70% reduction in the risk of obesity. It would therefore appear that the calories associated with alcohol are used in a different way by our metabolism.

In fact, alcohol is very toxic for cells and one of the organism's priorities is to eliminate it as quickly as possible, thanks to a detox system found in the liver. One of these systems, called the microsomal system for ethanol oxidization, is relied on heavily during regular alcohol consumption. Unlike the regular metabolic process for food, this system does not look to extract the energy found in the alcohol, but rather to transform it so that it doesn't damage the cells.

Consequently, the transformation of alcohol by this system is not designed to be turned into ATP or fatty reserves, but are in fact associated with a dissipation of heat. In other words, the calories associated with alcohol are in large part neutral calories, which are not used by the organism as a source of energy that should be reserved.

However, keep in mind that "real" calories associated with actual weight gain can also be ingested, as other distinct ethanol elements are also found in alcoholic beverages, depending on the type of alcohol. Beer, for example, contains a lot of sugar, which comes from the malt; these are sugars that will contribute to the stockpiling of fats, as the famous beer belly of regular beer drinkers can attest to. All very sweet alcohols, like liqueurs, will have the same effect.

Alcohol can also stimulate the appetite and lead to the over-consumption of other high-calorie foods.

It is therefore not as much alcohol itself, but rather the things that come along with it, that cause weight gain. Let us limit the excess and enjoy it in moderation this year!

Dr. Richard Beliveau holds the chair in cancer prevention and treatment at the University of Quebec in Montreal.

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Ok, sooooo everything mentioned in the article is invalidated by the last part of the article. Hey, thanks for that weight loss advice cancer doctor.

Everyone knows alcohol is bad for you on every level. Why do people continue to try and prove otherwise? Ridiculous.

Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems--- Homer

Andrew B., January 3rd 2011, 2:41am

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