As of: February 19, 2024, 6:30 a.m
By: Laura Knops
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Beer, wine or schnapps?
Depending on the strain, alcohol can affect weight gain and disease risk differently.
A glass here, a glass there.
In the long term, even moderate alcohol consumption can quickly have an impact on your hips.
In a study, British scientists examined exactly how the consumption of beer, wine and schnapps affects the organism.
The results were published in the journal “
Obesity Science & Practice
.”
Alcohol affects the formation of unhealthy body fat
Whether you prefer beer or wine could affect your weight.
Researchers have now investigated how alcohol affects the body.
© Science Photo Library/Imago
As part of the study, scientists led by study author Brittany Larsen examined data from around 1,869 test subjects between the ages of 40 and 79.
The information came from the UK Biobank, a biomedical database that collects genetic and health information from people in the UK.
Using a questionnaire, the researchers collected information on demographic factors, lifestyle, diet and alcohol consumption.
Empty calories in alcohol:
One gram of (pure) alcohol contains around seven calories, a large glass of beer already contains 200 calories.
Unlike fruits and vegetables, however, these are considered empty calories.
They do not provide the body with any vitamins, trace elements or minerals.
Alcohol also reduces fat burning.
While the body should actually be busy breaking down fat cells, the alcohol causes it to break down less body fat and store more fat in the fat cells.
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To find out how different types of alcohol affect body fat, the research team recorded the height and weight of the test subjects.
Dual X-ray absorptiometry was performed to measure body composition.
Biomarkers were also determined using blood samples.
The extensive data allowed the scientists to determine visceral and subcutaneous fat mass, as well as somatic muscle mass and bone density for each participant.
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Beer, schnapps or wine?
It depends on the type
The result: Like previous studies, the current study confirms that increased alcohol consumption is associated with a change in visceral fat, i.e. the deep fat layer, as well as the subcutaneous, i.e. subcutaneous fat layer.
However, depending on which alcohol is consumed, the researchers found differences in the effect on body composition.
The following types of alcohol have this influence:
Liquor:
High-proof alcohol such as schnapps in particular influences the formation of visceral fat.
This also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the long term.
Beer:
High consumption of beer also increases visceral body fat while decreasing muscle mass.
According to the researchers, the reason for this could be the high carbohydrate content in beer, which also affects body fat.
Beer also appears to reduce energy burning and thereby lead to weight gain.
White Wine
: Unlike other types of alcohol, white wine does not appear to have an effect on either visceral or subcutaneous fat.
Instead, the researchers came to a surprising result.
Accordingly, people who prefer white wine appear to have higher bone density than beer and schnapps lovers.
Red wine:
Red wine drinkers also seem to have an advantage over beer and schnapps drinkers.
They were less likely to be overweight.
The polyphenols found in red wine appear to reduce inflammation and inhibit fat storage in the body.
The researchers write in their study: “Higher red wine consumption (was) associated with lower visceral fat mass, which was due to lower inflammation and increased high-density lipoproteins.”
Effect of alcohol on body fat: Diet also plays a role
In addition to the influence of different types of alcohol on the body, the British research team also examined other factors.
Diet therefore also plays a major role.
Overall, subjects who drank more beer also appeared to consume more grains and less healthy foods such as fruit.
Wine drinkers, on the other hand, consumed fewer processed foods.
Although the study hardly took origin, age and gender differences into account, the results provide important insights, according to study author Britanny Larsen: “Alcohol has long been considered a possible driving factor for the obesity epidemic.
Yet the public often hears conflicting information about the potential risks and benefits of alcohol.
“We hope that our research can help unravel some of these factors,” she explains in a press release.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editorial team cannot answer individual questions about medical conditions.