Read on to learn more about the relationship between alcohol and weight gain. Lifestyle changes, medications — or both — can help manage bloating or reduce alcohol-related weight gain. Additionally, a study published in PLOS does liquor make u gain weight One in October 2017 found that alcohol consumption was tied to a higher risk of three kinds of gastrointestinal cancers. If you want to be supported through every step of your weight loss journey, this is how to do it.

Alcohol Intake and Obesity: Experimental Evidence

Future research must consider the other important factors that may influence the link between alcohol and obesity, some of which are discussed below. Not taking into account some of these potential confounding factors can certainly lead to biased estimates of the relationship between alcohol intake and body weight given that large inter-individual variations exist. The association between alcohol intake and body weight is generally stronger in men than women [15], especially because of the amount and type of alcohol consumed by men. Alcohol has been reported to account for 16% of adult drinkers’ total energy intake in the United States [68], with men consuming about three times the amount consumed by women [68]. Men are also more likely to drink beer, which is carbohydrate rich, and provides more energy than wine per standard drink [5].

How is alcohol bloating treated?

• If you’re feeling bloated while drinking alcohol, switch over to drinking water.
• You can also initiate your gag reflex with a mental trigger or stimuli that affect your taste, smell, sight, or sound and cause an emotional reaction that results in vomiting.
• However, the results of the various cross-sectional and longitudinal studies examined in this review do not unequivocally support such a hypothesis.

Cirrhosis, on the other hand, is irreversible and can lead to liver failure and liver cancer, even if you abstain from alcohol. When the body is dehydrated, skin and vital organs try to hold onto as much water as possible, leading to puffiness in the face and elsewhere. Use of this website and any information contained herein is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement. The United States General Services Administration also offers a list of resources for alcohol use disorders.

Can a beer belly harm your health?

Let’s dive into some healthy habits you can start incorporating into your weight loss journey and get rid of that alcohol belly for good. But, getting older is another reason women can start accumulating stomach fat. For a lot of women, this can start to happen more so after menopause, when body fat shifts to the abdomen [4]. As a result, people with diabetes may need to practice caution with alcohol.

Drinking large amounts of beer has been linked with an increased risk of weight gain and belly fat. As with cross-sectional studies, the way by which alcohol intake is measured and categorized likely influences the interpretation of the results. Several studies have grouped all levels of individual alcohol intake above 30g/day as ‘heavy’ drinkers [12, 38].

Both cardio and high-intensity exercise can help (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51). Try to avoid binge drinking, or having a lot of alcohol over one or two days. The best way to get rid of a beer belly is through diet and exercise.

The Connection Between Alcohol and Weight Gain

For example, those with inadequate sleep are more likely to select low-nutrient options (e.g., foods high in sugar and fat) and consume more calories daily than those who get enough sleep each night (102). It’s thought that changes in bacteria diversity may lead to changes in energy and nutrient metabolism, stimulate inflammation, and alter hormone regulation, leading to weight gain. That said, further research into this topic is needed (72, 73, 74, 75). Several studies suggest that people who consume the highest amount of protein are the least likely to have excess belly fat (54, 55, 56).

• Females may gain weight in their abdominal region after menopause when estrogen levels naturally decline.
• If you have concerns, speak with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian nutritionist.
• Alcohol is high in empty calories and may affect hormones that signal appetite, hunger, and stress.

As I mentioned above, lower testosterone levels means a reduced ability to burn fat. You’ve just poured 674 nutritionally empty calories into your body. These alternatives to conventional treatment can help ease acid reflux that can result from eosinophilic esophagitis. Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions. People who were assigned female at birth have significantly smaller amounts of an enzyme in the stomach that digests alcohol, called alcohol dehydrogenase, he explains.

Causes that affect women only

• More human research is needed to understand how alcohol affects hunger.
• Depending on what you order or pour, just one drink might contain anywhere from fifty to several hundred calories.
• This is why imbibers become more loquacious and uninhibited as a party wears on.
• Many alcoholic drinks, such as wine, beer, and liquor, are made by fermenting natural starches and sugars.
• Alcohol consumption can lead to several unpleasant GI symptoms like bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort.

Drinking beer can cause weight gain of any type — including belly fat. This is important to note, since low levels of testosterone may increase your risk of weight gain, especially around the belly (30, 31, 32, 33). This risk of weight gain may be even higher in people who are already overweight compared to normal-weight people who drink beer (18). Interestingly, other studies have https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-intolerance-symptoms-and-causes/ suggested that drinking beer in moderate amounts of less than 17 oz (500 ml) per day may not carry this risk (7, 8, 16). In fact, one study found that men who drank more than three drinks per day were 80% more likely to have a lot of belly fat than men who didn’t drink as much (15). In other words, elevated cortisol could contribute to weight gain, especially around the belly.