Beer calories are infamous for their effects on your belly. But, studies have shown that drinking beer is not the cause of a “beer belly”. The calories in beer are just like calories in other foods and drinks.

The problem is that people often drink beer excessively and/or irresponsibly. Drinking beer often involves eating snacks or fried foods which contain lots of fat.

And then there is the fact that alcohol consumption of any kind reduces the metabolization of other fats (those chips you ate with the beer).

Beer Calories-How Alcohol Affects You

Most of the beer alcohol you consume is absorbed into your blood quickly and heads straight for your liver where is converted to acetaldehyde which is then converted to acetate. Acetate is then used as fuel for your body.

That in and of itself isn’t bad, it’s the fact that the acetate is being used as fuel instead of your fat reserves, that is the problem.

There have been many studies done on alcohol’s effect on your body’s metabolism. One study showed that fat metabolism dropped by 73% for several hours after just two drinks and another study showed that a few drinks will reduce your fat loss for as long as four days.

So, not only does consuming the alcohol in beer put a stop to fat loss, guess what else is going on. The alcohol is also slashing your testosterone levels.

Just one night of heavy drinking can increase your body’s levels of a muscle-wasting hormone called cortisol and will increase the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours.

And these effects on your testosterone levels are made worse if you exercise before drinking. The effects of alcohol on testosterone may be one reason why people who drink a lot usually have less muscle and more belly fat.

So what does this mean?  It means that it is the alcohol in beer that is playing havoc on your metabolism, not the beer calories…

Maltose and the “Beer Belly”

Many believe that the calories in beer that come from maltose are the main culprit for their beer belly.

It is true, maltose is readily digested by your body and is quickly stored as fat. Several diet books have wrongly included beer as a primary source of dieting problems, claiming that the maltose in beer has a glycemic index of 110.  That’s 10 more than glucose, and that therefore beer has a glycemic index of 110 and is bad for you.  Claiming that beer calories are all from maltose is absurd. Beer is mostly water with some hop oils and a very small percentage of sugars, including maltose.

Most research today reveals that the “beer belly” is caused by overeating and lack of muscle tone. It’s just as easy for non-beer-drinkers who overeat and don’t exercise to get a “beer gut” as it is for beer drinkers.

Can Beer Calories Actually Be Good For You?

Can beer calories actually be good for you? Well, in the early days of brewing, beer was made by the monks to supply needed nutrients during fasting and was called liquid bread.

Beer is made from brewer’s yeast which is known to be a rich source of nutrients.

In fact, it is true that some beer calories can contain significant amounts of nutrients, including magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, and B vitamins. But, be aware that some sources claim that filtering beer removes many of these nutrients.

Some research about beer calories say that moderate intake of low alcohol beer provides strong anti-cancer benefits and intake of beer in general will provide cardiovascular benefits as well.

There is some research showing that it may be something in the beer besides the alcohol, but most research relates the benefits to the alcohol in beer.

Conclusion

What’s the conclusion of all this information about calories in beer? If you don’t exercise regularly, are genetically predisposed to be large (have big bones), or are getting on in years, you need to watch how much you drink (how many beer calories you ingest) and what you eat while you drink and for the next day or so afterward.

Use common sense when drinking. If you drink in excess, you will have to reduce calorie intake for a while and exercise to negate the effects of the beer calories in the alcohol.

It all comes down to moderation and focus. Keep your intake of beer calories moderate and focus on negating the effects with exercise and proper eating habits to stay slim.

Calories, Carbs, and Alcohol in Your Favorite Beers

Have you ever asked yourself, “how many calories are in a Bud Light”?  Or, what about regular Budweiser calories? Or how many calories are in a light beer, or how many calories are in a bottle of beer?  (You’ll have to be a little more specific than that…)

So how many beer calories and beer carbohydrates are in your favorite beer anyway.

Here is a table which shows some of the major brands along with their beer calories per 12 oz. serving and associated beer carbohydrates when available. Keep in mind that breweries may change these numbers by altering various aspects of their recipes, but the numbers will be very close to those published.

References:

References: 1.) Siler, S.Q., Neese, R.A., & Hellerstein, M.K. (1999). De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 928-936 2.) Valimaki, M.J., Harkonen, M., Eriksson, C.J., & Ylikahri, R.H. (1984). Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol. Alcohol, 1, 89-93 3.)
Beer from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 4.) Is there maltose in your beer? By Bob Skilnik 5.) Bamforth, C. W. (17 September–20, 2006). “Beer as liquid bread: Overlapping science.”. World Grains Summit 2006: Foods and Beverages. San Francisco, California, USA. 6.) “Non-alcoholic beer may help mice fight cancer”. Reuters. 2005-01-21. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6853732/. 7.) “Double benefit from alcohol-free beer”. Food Navigator. 2005-05-17. http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?id=52157-double-benefit-from. 8.) “Drink binges ’cause beer belly'”. BBC News. 28 November 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4048969.stm. Retrieved on 2006-11-06

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