How many times have you had someone offer you another glass of red – claiming "it's good for you"? Yes, the antioxidants in red wine may well be beneficial for cardiovascular health. Antioxidants are concentrated in the skins and seeds of grapes, making red wine much higher in antioxidants than white wine. But the same benefits from antioxidants can be obtained from eating lots of fruits and vegetables. What’s more, the suggestion that red wine is good for your heart often interferes with the message that red wine is fattening. Red wine, like all alcohol, is very high in kilojoules, and it is not your best friend when it comes to weight control.
While it might be called a beer gut, the term red wine gut would be just as appropriate.
Alcohol actually makes food more fattening. Alcohol can’t be stored in the body, so it becomes a primary source of fuel. That means your body will burn off the kilojoules from alcohol before it burns off any kilojoules from the foods you have eaten at the same time. And the types of foods we commonly consume with red wine are high in fat, such as cheese, chips, dips and restaurant meals.
Alcohol also has some other negative effects for your waistline, such as increasing your appetite, reducing your will power to say no to unhealthy foods, and it can lead to inactivity and fat cravings the next day if you have a little too much.
The suggestion that red wine is good for you is a myth, because it doesn’t apply if your goal is to reduce body fat. While there is an argument that everything is good in moderation, make sure you understand the difference between heart health and weight loss. If you enjoy drinking red wine, but are serious about reducing body fat, aim for at least 3 – 5 alcohol free days each week, and be active on the days you drink alcohol.
Do you enjoy a glass of red? Did you realise the foods you have with alcohol are more likely to be fattening? Do you think alcohol has an impact on your body shape? What strategies do you employ to include alcohol as part of a healthy lifestyle?
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