Is alcohol making you fat? – GOOD SHAPE

O alcohol really fat! To give an idea of ​​the drink’s impact on the figure, Adriana Kachani, a nutritionist at the Chemically Dependent Woman’s Program (Promud) at the Institute of Psychiatrists at USP, compares: “In a pizzeria, it’s common for people to control themselves not to eat three pieces of pizza , but they easily drink three beers thinking they are saving calories”. Only 1 gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, just like protein. The same amount of alcohol offers much more: 7.1 calories, and fat 9.

It is also good to remember that the drink is not just alcohol. A caipirinha, made with sugar and fruit, easily reaches 300 calories. Alcohol offers another risk to the scale: it activates the secretion of cortisol, which stimulates cells to store fat in the abdomen. A study by the Faculty of Nutrition at the University of Ouro Preto, in Minas Gerais, with 178 university students, related the consumption of alcoholic beverages to body fat. And the average amount of fat concentrated around the waist (the most dangerous type for the heart!) was higher among participants who reported drinking.

If you think the beer is to blame, forget it! The fad of mixing vodka with energy supplies a staggering 470 calories. To make matters worse, fried foods served as a side dish extrapolate in fat. In a quick calculation: if you eat four croquettes (each one has 87 calories) and drink a shot of vodka with energy, you will have ingested 818 calories, the value of a hearty meal.

International studies have shown that, regardless of the type of drink, it favors obesity and associated diseases. Scientist Janne Tolstrup, from the National Institute of Public Health in Denmark, studied 43,543 men and women and also found weight gain, especially around the waist, among moderate drinkers and those who exaggerated from time to time. With addicts, the opposite happens. People drink so much that drinking starts to mask their hunger; replaces the consumption of food as a source of energy and nutrients, which leads to malnutrition and severe weight loss, which is not at all healthy.

No war of the sexes

It is not possible to defend equality on this point. Men and women react differently to alcohol due to their organic characteristics. “The amount of water in our body is less. If we drink a can of beer, we will have 30% more alcohol in circulation than they do”, says Zila Sanchez, a pharmacist specializing in drug addiction and researcher at the Brazilian Center for Information on Psychotropic Drugs (Cebrid), at Unifesp. In addition, women produce less of the enzyme responsible for metabolizing alcohol. And, in the days close to menstruation, sensitivity to alcohol is greater, favoring drunkenness with smaller doses and the risk of developing dependence earlier.

Constant and abusive use can interfere with menstrual cycles, altering ovulation and fertility; increases the risk of cancer (breast, colorectal, mouth, larynx, esophagus, liver and intestine); increases vulnerability to depression; and causes digestive diseases, hepatitis, cirrhosis and tachycardia. In extreme cases, there may be alcohol intoxication, coma and death. “Frequent users develop serious illnesses more quickly than men, such as fatty liver, hypertension and anemia”, informs researcher Priscila Lopes Pereira, from the Faculty of Medicine of Botucatu (FMB), at Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp).

serious damage

Experts point out that, the next day, worse than the physical hangover (headaches, nausea, vomiting) is the moral hangover (feelings of guilt and shame). After making people euphoric and uninhibited, alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant. It lowers the perception of danger and, with that, the notion of right and wrong is lost: “vulnerability to risky behavior grows, that is, doing something you wouldn’t do under normal conditions, like having sex with a stranger; climb on top of the table and do a striptease. For that, you don’t need to drink until you drop.”

“From the first dose, you are already exposed to risk. The more abuse, the greater the risks”, warns Zila. Thus, in addition to the danger of embarrassment, there is a risk of unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and acts of violence. As if that were not enough, there is another inconvenience: “One day after drinking, you wake up so hungry that the risk of overeating is high and what you shouldn’t”, recalls Adriana Kachani. So don’t go so thirsty to the glass.

Watching the glass…

See how many calories you consume drinking at the club, happy hour, barbecue…

· 1 cup (300 ml) of draft beer: 180 cal

· 1 can (350 ml) of beer: 150 cal

1 glass (140 ml) of wine: 93 cal

· 1 serving (100 ml) of prosecco: 71 cal

· 1 shot (50 ml) of vodka: 120 cal

· 1 shot (50 ml) of tequila: 108 cal

· 1 shot (50 ml) of whiskey: 125 cal

· 1 glass (200 ml) of pinga caipirinha or sake with sugar: 300 cal

· 1 glass (200 ml) of gin and tonic: 183 cal

· 1 glass (200 ml) of vodka with energy drink: 470 cal

…and snacks

The foods that accompany these drinks are also caloric and fattening

· 1 croquette (30 g) of meat: 87 cal

· 1 portion (100 g, around 20 sticks) of potato chips: 140 cal

· 1 portion (100 g) of salami: 250 cal

5 pieces (75 g) breaded provolone: ​​360 cal

Calories provided by nutritionist Adriana Kachani, from Promud.

In order not to pass

· It is recommended for women to drink a maximum of one dose, the equivalent of a can (350 ml) of beer, a glass (140 ml) of wine or a dose (50 ml) of whiskey, not on consecutive days.

· On an empty stomach, alcohol “goes up faster”. So, no leaving home without dinner to “save calories”. Eat light foods: vegetables, lean meats and fruits.

· At the bar, choose lean snacks: cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke bottoms, lupine, preserves without too much oil, mushrooms, low-fat cheeses and cold cuts such as turkey breast or chester.

· Prefer drinks that can be consumed little by little, such as caipirinha, gin and tonic and make that dose last all night: put plenty of ice, intersperse with water and take small sips. “Alcohol is volatile”, recalls Adriana Kachani. “Just wet your tongue and it already fills your mouth with the characteristic taste.”

· Caipirinha with lemon and pinga or sake with sugar has about 300 calories. If you replace the sugar with the sweetener, the caloric value drops to 190.

· Do not mix alcohol with energy drink. In addition to calories, this drink has carbohydrates, caffeine and other compounds that provide energy. Feeling more willing, you tend to drink more.

· Observe the volume consumed: do you only drink a glass of caipirinha? And the “chorinho”, do you despise? How much fits in your wine glass: only 140 milliliters really? The extra amount not accounted for makes a difference on the scale!