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It can, however, have some bad effects. The day afterheadache, the full body ache; it can even make some people hyper-aggressive or super-depressed. These are, of course, only temporary but there is an even more devastating long lasting effect. So I’m going to outline the pros and cons to alcohol.

I’ve done some research and come up with some interesting things. Firstly though I would just like to point out that on a very basic level alcohol carries extra calories. 1g of alcohol contains 7kcal. It’s nearly as calorific as fat and it isn’t an essential nutrient. Bit of maths now:
On average a bottle of wine can be anywhere from 450-500kcal, so if you were having half a bottle a night, in 2 weeks you would have consumed 3,500kcal extra in your diet. This is also the equivalent to 1lb of fat. That’s 2lb per month or nearly 2 stones a year!

The first study I found was done in Dec 2008 by Suter PM and Schutz Y (cool names huh?) They did a study on the effects of exercise, alcohol or both combined on health and physical performance. They found a few interesting things. First and foremost “the regular consumption of alcohol, through its effects in suppressing fat oxidation, is regarded as arisk factor for weight gain, increased abdominal obesity and hypertriglyceridemia” (fats in the blood stream). They also found that “when alcohol is consumed within a meal it increases postprandial lipemia metabolism”, basically the fat in the meal gets transported out to the body faster.

Another study by Suter in 2005:
“Every component of the energy-balance equation is affected by the ingestion of alcohol. Moderate amounts of alcohol enhance energy intake due to the caloric content of the alcohol as well as its appetite-enhancing effects. Experimental evidence from several metabolic studies showed a suppression of lipid oxidation by alcohol and thus the enhancement of a positive fat balance. The non-oxidized fat is preferentially deposited in the abdominal area. The experimental metabolic evidence suggests that the consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol has to be accounted for in the energy-balance equation and may represent a risk factor for the development of a positive energy balance and thus weight gain.Accordingly the question is not "Whether alcohol calories do count" but "How much do alcohol calories count?". They count more in combination with a high-fat diet and in overweight and obese subjects.”

Another study by Suter (seems to be the alcohol guru!) in 2000:

“Regular alcohol consumption has multiple effects on lipid metabolism and basically all lipid fractions in the blood are affected by alcohol. The effects depend on the dose and the regularity of intake as well as the liver function. Moderate amounts of alcohol lead to an increase in HDL-cholesterol (good Cholesterol) as well as in some populations to a lowering in the Lp(a) concentration. High consumption levels lead to a decline in most lipoprotein fractions (don’t want that!) due to hepatopathy (disease of the liver). Due to the suppression of lipid oxidation moderate alcohol consumption has to be regarded as a risk factor for obesity and weight gain. The non-oxidized lipid calories are deposited preferentially in the abdominal area.”

Mitchell MC Herlong MF 1986
“The caloric value of ethanol as fuel may be dose-related. Most evidence suggests that at moderate intake levels of less than 45 g/day ethanol is efficiently utilized as a fuel by the liver. At high intakes, ethanol calories may not be utilized for cellular synthesis of ATP and maintenance of weight.”

There are more studies out there but I would be sitting here for the rest of my life writing about them. I think these give us a good outline of what effects alcohol has on our bodies and there are some repetitive finds too.

• An excess of alcohol is a factor in being over-weight.
• The fat distribution from alcohol is predominantly stored in the abdominal area.
• Alcohol decreases fat oxidation, so makes it harder to lose weight.
• Your body has to deal with the alcoholic calories first. Everything else is put on the back burner.
• (This wasn’t in the studies) When stressed the body releases cortisol and that has been found to again preferentially store fat in the abdomen (if you didn’t know that then you do now). So stress + alcohol is NOT a good idea. Getting drunk after a stressful day is not the best thing for your body.
• The effects of alcohol are greater in individuals who are already overweight.
• Excessive alcohol consumption leads to liver disease and as such a reduction of “good” HDL Cholesterol
• Even moderate alcohol consumption is a risk factor in weight gain (due to its inhibition of fat oxidation)

It’s not all bad news; there are some benefits from some types of alcohol

• Red wine is very high in antioxidants and phytochemicals
• Your liver can deal with 45g/day of alcohol (about a large glass, depending on strength)
• Moderate alcohol consumption (as directed above) can raise HDL Cholesterol (good kind)

So the old saying of having one glass of red wine a day seems to be about right. If you’re trying to lose weight and you can’t stop at that one glass then it might be better to just not have any at all. That one glass will have some affect on your weight loss performance but will also give your body other benefits.