Alcohol for Weight Loss; But What About My Health?

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I was recently asked to answer some questions for our local NBC4 station, regarding a news article that was published about drinking alcohol, and losing weight (to view the article, click here).

The article stated “Women of a normal weight who consume alcohol in moderation appear to gain less weight over time than nondrinkers, according to a study published in the March 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.”

The article then discussed another study, which examined almost 13 years of data collected from 19,220 female health-care professionals, including women over the age of 39, without preexisting medical conditions, who had a BMI of 18.5 to 25 (normal weight for height).  The researchers used a questionnaire to track the women’s lifestyle choices every four to nine years.  While almost all the women gained weight as they aged (a typical condition of aging), the study stated that “those who didn’t drink alcohol gained on average 8 pounds, while the women who reported drinking alcohol gained less, with those who drank 30 to 40 grams of alcohol a day (the equivalent of around three to four 4-ounce glasses of wine) gaining the least, at an average of 3.3 pounds.”

These effects carried across all categories of alcohol, but were strongest for red wine (no wonder this article was published on WineSpectator.com!).  While there were several limitations to this study, all of which were reported in the article, a problem I had was that the article suggested that “moderate drinking” is three to four 4-ounce glasses of wine per day (or three to four servings of another equivalent alcoholic beverage).  But according to the American Heart Association, “moderate drinking” for men is two serving of alcohol (one serving being 12 ounces beer, 4 ounces wine, 1.5 ounce spirits) and one serving for women.  Sticking to the American Heart Association’s guidelines may actually benefit your heart.  But sticking to the guidelines of this article will most likely provide zero health benefit, other than, I guess, weight loss.  This inconsistency in the use of the phrase “moderate drinking” is not good. It confuses people.

I also had a problem with the lack of much input regarding the potential dangers of drinking too much alcohol.  More than one serving for women, and two for men, has been linked to numerous health problems, including cancer (especially breast, throat, rectum, esophageal).  Not to mention the negative effect that alcohol, when consumed in excess of moderate intake, can have on triglycerides.

It wouldn’t be such a big deal if our society wasn’t so obsessed with weight, but publishing an article like this may have undesired effects, in my opinion.  If you drink alcohol, I will continue to suggest doing so in moderation (as in, 1-2 servings).  Focusing on red wine for a second, if you want to get some similar health benefits without actually drinking red wine, I’d suggest drinking 100% pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, grape juice, or prune juice!  Will these help you lose weight?  Not necessarily, but I doubt you’ll ever hear any nutrition and health professionals recommending alcohol as a means of weight loss anyway.

Please feel free to present your own opinions about this article in the comments section below!  We’d love to hear your thoughts.

?The Candid RD?, Gina Casagrande, is the Director of Nutrition & Health for Imagination to Burn. She is passionate about empowering people to achieve their wellness goals. Read more of her work on her blog; The Candid RD.

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