Do beer really contributes to weight gain ?

It is a common belief that drinking beer is associated with an increase in body fat. Particularly around waistline and around belly. Sometimes it is commonly referred to as beer belly.

Beer basically is an alcoholic drink that is made from fermentation of grains. The grains include barley, wheat, rye, etc. Beer is flavoured using hops, which make a great flavouring for beers as they have a bitter taste.

So here we are mentioning the three ways in which beer may contribute to weight gain.

• Beer just increases your calorie intake.

Beer basically contains the same amount of calories as soft drink. So drinking beer regularly will add a lot amount of calories in your diet.

Several scientific studies point towards the fact that drinking alcohol can increase your appetite. Thus increasing your food intake.

Further most people who are addicted to beer just drink above the limits, that just puts excess calories in the body. This clearly points towards the fact that drinking beer regularly contribute a increase in waist line.

• Beer prevents fat burning process.

It is a scientifically proven fact that drinking alcohol prevents your body from burning fat. The main reason behind this is your body takes alcohol breakdown as priority. In place of fats to produce energy.

Studies in several human trials have mixed results on this topic. A long term use of beer regularly but moderate portions of less than 500 ml per day doesn’t seem to lead any increase in body weight.

But this surely can increase addiction and subsequently lead to limitless drinking.

• Phytoestrogens and their effect on body.

The hope plant, which is the prominent ingredient used for flavouring in beers. This plant is known for its high phytoestrogens, it basically mimics the action if female sex hormone oestrogen.

So just because of high phytoestrogens content. It is claimed that beer may cause hormonal changes in men and increase the risk of belly fat and thigh fat.

Health experts advise that fat stored around your belly is one of the most dangerous type of fat for your health. In scientific words it is also called visceral fat. This type of fat is metabolically active and can interfere with your body’s hormone.

Even people who have a normal weight but some sort of belly fat have risks of several health issues.

A human trial reveals that men who drank more than three drinks per day have 80% more chances to gain a lot of belly fat. There are handful of studies available that are linked with both increase in waist circumference an body weight.

Conclusion and takeaway :

Just enjoying an occasional drinking with friends is common and improves mood and refreshing. But the thing to keep in mind is more and frequently you drink, the higher the risk of weight gain.

But till now there is no research or scientific study that proves that drinking one beer per day or less will cause weight gain.