Many things can make people fat, but is beer one of these things? One of the most popular beverages in the world has often been labeled as a cause of obesity, but is drinking beer really that bad? The answers found in this article are surprising.
People have been drinking beer since ancient times. It has been used as a beverage that can improve one’s mood, but also as a healing food or even as part of religious rituals. As more and more modern people are turning to a healthy lifestyle, many of them have the same dilemma – should they continue drinking beer if they want to maintain a healthy weight. Fortunately, there are numerous studies and surveys that have helped us understand the impact of beer on weight. Read this article if you want to:
- Find out more about the content of beers
- Learn more about the link between beer and obesity
- Get information about weight loss and healthy lifestyle
How much you drink, when you drink, and how your diet and lifestyle look like in general – these are the things that affect your weight. So, let’s start separating fact from fiction and find out whether drinking beer makes you fat or not.
1. What’s in a beer?
Let’s highlight the fact that there are literally hundreds of different beers on the market. This means that beers are not the same, but what almost all of them have in common is that they are made from natural ingredients. You will find malted cereals, yeast, hops, and water in them. That’s a lot of polyphenols, fiber, vitamins, and minerals for your body. But, then there’s alcohol too.
- There are many varieties of beers in the world
- The vast majority of them are based on malted cereals, yeast, hops, and water
- Beer is packed with nutrients, although it contains alcohol too which might be bad for your health
2. Calories in beer – not that many
As expected, beer contains calories. But, contrary to popular belief, the number of calories found in this beverage is not that high. In other words, if we are looking strictly at the number of calories, drinking beer can’t make you fat, at least if you are drinking in moderation.
It’s the level of alcohol that plays the main role in the number of calories. Generally speaking, there are around 7 calories per gram of beer that come from alcohol. You should add 4 more calories per gram from carbs. Let’s compare beer with other drinks – an average beer has around 40 calories per 100 ml, apple juices have 42, milk has 65, while orange juice has 47 calories per 100 ml.
- In general, beer doesn’t have too many calories
- Many beverages including milk and even orange juice have more calories
- Drinking in moderation should not make you fat
3. Beer can increase food intake
This is one of the worst things about beer when it comes to weight. A few scientific studies have shown that beer consumption usually makes people eat more food. This is an unnecessary intake of food that’s triggered by alcohol. It leads to food cravings caused by the processing of alcohol in the stomach. That’s why people have to be careful when drinking alcohol with food around them. They should know whether these food cravings are unreasonable or not if they want to avoid becoming fat. By removing highly caloric unhealthy snacks, you should be able to avoid situations like that.
- A few studies have suggested that beer consumption increases food intake
- These food cravings can be prevented
- Stay away from unhealthy snacks while drinking beer
4. Your drinking patterns play a role too
As previously mentioned, how you are drinking beer affects weight too. For instance, research has shown that heavy drinkers that are drinking over 3 beers a day are prone to obesity. People who fancy binge drinking (consuming beer sporadically but in very high amounts and fast) tend to become fat. On the other hand, if you drink one beer a day (even if you do this regularly), there’s a small chance that this practice will affect your weight.
- Drinking patterns have a great impact on your weight
- Binge drinking and heavy drinking are a bad option, not just for your weight
- Moderate amounts of beer should not cause any problems
5. What’s up with beer bellies?
Just because people use the term “beer belly” doesn’t mean that we have to blame the beer. As we said before, drinking a few beers per day can make you fat, but the same goes for overeating or overdrinking almost anything else. So, although beer belly is a well-known and accepted term, it might be something else that has caused this problem (accumulation of fat in this area).
- A beer belly is a popular term, but so is a spare tire for the same condition
- Beer can contribute to obesity, but it might be something else that’s causing the problem
- Identify that problem or problems and try to solve them
6. So, does drinking beer make you fat?
The answer is both yes and no. How is this possible? Well, drinking beer can lead to weight gain in both men and women. They can increase fat content in their bodies and weight in general. But, it’s the way you drink beer that matters.
If you don’t want to become fat and you enjoy beer, try to drink moderately over the weekend. Don’t drink every day and especially don’t drink 3 or more beers in a night. Additionally, stay away from snacks and highly caloric food when you drink this beverage. Of course, your weight is affected by other things, not just the things you drink – your overall diet, physical activity, and lifestyle.
- Drinking beer can make you fat, but you can drink beer and still be slim
- The key is drinking in moderation
- If you want to stay healthy, take care of your diet (food and drinks), exercise more, and follow a healthy lifestyle
