3 reasons why beer can make you gain weight

Beer can prevent your body from burning fat, this is one of the ways in which its high consumption favors a growing beer belly and also promotes weight gain

Photo: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels

Beer consumption can gain weight and abdominal fat, also known as “beer belly ”. These effects depend on various factors, mainly if your consumption is not moderate, maximum two drinks a day if you are a man and one drink if you are a woman.

Why can beer increase your weight?

1. Add calories

Any alcoholic beverage has the potential to cause you to gain weight. A regular beer of 355 ml has approximately 150 calories , craft beers can have more than 170 calories. The caloric content of beer also depends on the alcohol content, the more alcohol it contains, the more calories.

Although the caloric content of beer is not that high compared to mixed drinks, if you eat several in one sitting, you can have a large calorie intake. The body converts excess calories from fat.

Some studies reveal that weight gain may be greater in people who are already overweight compared to non-overweight people who drink beer.

two. Prevent you from burning fat

The alcohol interferes with the body’s fat burning mechanisms . The consumption of beer or other alcoholic beverage causes the body to prioritize the breakdown of alcohol than other sources of fuel such as carbohydrates and fats.

“When you drink alcohol, the liver burns alcohol instead of fat” , says Dr. Michael Jensen, an endocrinology expert and obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic to webMD.

3. Increase your appetite

Alcohol has a stimulating effect on appetite that causes you to eat more and suppresses the oxidation of fatty acids; In short: makes you eat more and burn less . In addition to this, the cravings are usually for greasy and salty food, such as pizza, wings and fried foods, the less healthy food that more favors inflammation and weight gain.

A study published in Alcohol and Alcoholism in the 2020 revealed that three drinks can reduce leptin , an appetite regulating hormone responsible for satiety.

Beers can also indirectly promote weight gain. Alcohol often affects the quality of sleep. Sleep Foundation shares that numerous studies have suggested that restricted sleep and poor quality sleep can lead to metabolic disturbances, weight gain, and an increased risk of obesity.

How to watch your weight when drinking beer?

Limit alcohol consumption to moderate consumption .

You can save calories by opting for light beers with 100 calories.

Take your drink slowly leaving it in the table between drinks. Drinking fast can lead to you drinking more than planned.

Alternate alcoholic beverages with low-calorie and non-alcoholic beverages.

Decreasing your alcohol consumption will not only help you control your weight, but also to ensure your health in general. Drinking alcohol can affect your memory, your heart, your immune system and increase the risk of diseases such as cancer.

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