Beyond bloating, make sure you remember alcohol should be consumed in moderation. Besides weight gain, alcohol can also lead to irritation of your gastrointestinal tract, which can cause bloating. Alcohol can cause puffiness in the face and inflammation in the digestive tract. Bloating may be worse when alcohol is combined with sugary and carbonated mixers.
Bottom Line on Alcohol and Weight Gain
Dr. Sengupta shares some of the not-so-obvious effects that alcohol has on your body. Now if you’ve ever read anything I’ve written here, you’ll know that I don’t think moderation works for most people. Alcohol consumption can also interfere with your digestive system. It may slow down the digestion process and cause temporary gastrointestinal disturbances such as gas or constipation. These disruptions contribute to a feeling of heaviness and can make your weight measurement a bit higher than usual.
- As a result, people with diabetes may need to practice caution with alcohol.
- Most mixed drinks are loaded with sugar, sweeteners, and in many cases, chemical and other uncategorizable crap.
- But if you’d still like to enjoy a night out or two without the negative side effects like alcohol bloating or weight gain, you can tailor your evening to make sure you’re staying healthy.
- This Malibu Original Caribbean Rum is a diet-friendly way to transport yourself to the tropics.
- Drinking alcohol can increase cravings for rich, fatty foods, which people looking to lose weight usually try to avoid.
- That’s because your body already has processes in place that allow it to store excess proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
- Avoiding carbonation, artificial sugars, mixed drinks that include lots of ingredients, and drinking through a straw may all reduce the bloating that can occur after drinking.
Alcohol Disrupts Digestive System
Force yourself to choose nutrient-dense food, lots of water, and get moving – even if it’s just a walk for fresh air. Still, these factors do contribute to a longer-term connection between alcohol and weight gain. When that happens, your body may try to hold on to as much water as possible. This causes water retention and bloating, which can result in a temporary increase in weight when you step on the scale the following day.
What is considered a “drink”?
It’s important to know that excess alcohol consumption can be very damaging to your overall health. Be careful not to confuse flavor-infused vodka with vodka drinks made with flavored sugary syrups that are added after the fermentation and distilling process. These products often contain many more calories than an infused vodka. The most obvious might be carbonated drinks, such as beer or soda. Champagne, sparkling wine, and hard seltzer also contain carbonation that can lead to bloating. Taking in the carbonation leads to gas in the upper digestive system.
How Many Shots to Get Drunk? Here’s What Science Says
This alcohol induced dehydration slows down metabolism as much as 80%! When alcohol enters the body it becomes a bully; It literally pushes away everything else you’ve consumed or eaten and goes to the front of the line. While can you gain weight from vodka the liver is busy processing alcohol, the other food in your system gets stored as fat. If you drink alcohol everyday (even just one drink) there’s a 90% chance you have Fatty Liver disease.
If you drink vodka every night in large quantities, you might become dependent on alcohol
While having a glass or two before bed can definitely relieve the stress of a busy work day and help you fall asleep faster, the quality of sleep is much less. In fact, while the average person gets between minutes of REM sleep (the deep restorative sleep cycle we require), drinking alcohol before bed means getting only 5-10 minutes of REM sleep. Alcohol also increases blood sugar levels which is why most people wake up hungry a few hours later and raid the fridge. Eating something with fiber, protein, and a little bit https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of healthy fat will control blood-sugar levels and curb those comfort food cravings. Eat foods like oatmeal, apple slices with almond butter, Greek yogurt with berries, hard boiled eggs or have a protein shake. These food choices stay in the stomach longer and you’ll be less likely to crave food when you drink.
Healthier Alternatives
Some are even known to lose weight after a night of drinking. The Whoosh Effect is a real phenomenon that happens when your body suddenly flushes out the stubborn weight. Many who drink alcohol will also retain water the next day, causing your weight to increase. However, the alcohol bloat will last only 1-3 days if you get right back on your diet and exercise routine.