Alcohol use - as a well-established part of human culture - is something that has become almost as acceptable as eating and breathing. As a social facilitator and feel good drug of choice for many, alcohol is very popular indeed, with consumption at mass levels.
Alcoholic beverages include low-alcohol-content beverages produced by fermentation of sugar- or starch-containing products, and high-alcohol-content beverages produced by distillation of the low-alcohol-content beverages. Sometimes, the alcohol content of low-alcohol-content beverages is increased by adding distilled product, particularly in the case of wines. Such fortified wines include Port wine and Sherry.
Types, Calories & % Alcohol in Different Alcohols:
Alcoholic Drink | Size | Calories | % Alcohol |
| Beer | 500ml | 184 | 3-6% |
| Lager | 500ml | 180 | 4-5% |
Cider | 500ml | 200 | 4–8% |
Whisky | 100ml | 220 | 40-75 % |
Gin | 100ml | 220 | 40.0-48.5 |
Brandy | 100ml | 220 | 35%–60% |
Rum | 100ml | 220 | 40-95% |
Wine | 100ml | 70 | 10-15% |
Champagne | 100ml | 126 | 13% |
Port | 50ml | 79 | 16% |
Tequila | 30 | 60 | 38–40% |
Brandy | 35ml | 72 | 35%–60% |
How Is Alcohol Processed In The Body?
After consuming the first alcoholic drink, 25% of this alcohol is absorbed straight from the stomach into the bloodstream, with the remainder taken in through the small bowel. Alcohol is generally absorbed fairly rapidly, but its absorption can be quickened depending on several factors such as, the weight of a person, gender of person, rate of consumption, other drugs, food in stomach and type of drink.
Around 98% of alcohol that is consumed is processed in the liver, with the other two to ten percent being expelled through urine, breathing, or sweat. The amount of alcohol in a standard drink will take around 10 hours for the average person to process, which means the more that is consumed at any one point, the greater the rise in blood alcohol content. When the liver processes alcohol, it does so in one of two ways.
For the most part, alcohol is broken down by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, which is contained in the liver cells). ADH then metabolizes the alcohol into acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is broken down into acetate by another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase. In the final stage, the acetate is further metabolized to where it eventually exits the body as waste products carbon dioxide and water.
What Are The Best Alcohol Choices?
If you really have to drink, what are the best choices? Some lower calorie brands to hit the market are showing promise, as are some of the more traditional alternatives.
As you know, total caloric content of various alcoholic drinks varies, with beer generally containing the highest number, considering the smaller amount of alcohol found in this drink compared with others. Various spirits (also known as liquor) generally contain around 64 calories per nip, but these do add up depending on the strength of the drink (for example, a double will contain two nips, or 128 calories).
Wine generally contains around 100 to 125 calories per medium sized glass. It also contains more alcohol than beer given the same volume, making it a better choice calorie-wise, as less would be consumed at any one sitting.
The worst alcohol choices would be the cream based drinks such as eggnog (340 calories without the alcohol) and an Amaretto Sour (includes tequila and orange juice and contains 421 calories). The highest calorie cocktail of the all would be the Vodka Mudslide, which contains coffee liqueur, Irish cream and vanilla ice cream and supplies 820 calories.
It would be better to drink a smaller quantity of liqueur with a healthier, lower calorie base such as trim milk or tomato juice.
The above information can however be used by one who is wanting to make some physical changes by lowering the overall caloric content of what they drink
Main concerns about drinking alcohol are as follows:
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- Alcohol Supplies Almost Twice As Many Calories As Protein & Carbohydrates.
- Alcohol (When Used To Excess) Can Damage Kidneys
- Alcohol Lowers Testosterone.
- Drinking even moderately during pregnancy can mean a baby born with a multitude of birth defects, including severe mental retardation.
- Alcohol damages heart by raises in blood pressure and increases heart rate, which weakens the heart. Alcoholics often develop abnormal heart rhythms that put them at risk for strokes and cardiomyophathy.
- Drinking too much overworks the liver and finally leads to liver failure.
- Alcohol damages the central nervous system and the brain
- Alcohol is not digested, but instead is absorbed into the bloodstream through the mouth, throat, stomach, and small intestines. It irritates the linings of these organs and orifices, causing gastritis (inflamed stomach lining), ulcers, acid reflux disease, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Alcohol resulting in low glucose levels that cause brain damage. Alcoholics therefore are often malnourished and have low energy levels.
- The excessive consumption of ethanol also makes mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus more prone to cancer.
Some more general guidelines to follow:
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- If If You drink alcohol, drink sensibly and drink alcohol in moderation.
- Drink alcohol with a lower caloric value, and a higher alcohol percentage (like wine for example). Less will be consumed, meaning lower overall calorie consumption.
- Avoid high calorie liqueurs, as these are extremely deceptive (they taste so good) and will add enormously to overall caloric content.
- Keep healthy food on hand when drinking. As mentioned, drinking will relax the inhibitions and cause one to compromise their nutritional habits.
- If drinking beer, try a lower calorie alternative. Also, drink diet sodas with various spirits to significantly lower the calorie content of these drinks.
- Drink water between alcoholic drinks as this will increase feelings of fullness and may help to prevent over consumption of alcohol.
