If you’re looking to lose weight, most folks will tell you to cut out alcohol and other beverages considered to have empty calories. But, it turns out that a little tipple once in a while could actually help you shed those extra pounds.
New research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers, and are at lower risk for obesity.
The study was reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and included data for more than 19,000 women in the U.S. age 39 or older who were considered to be a normal weight, based on their body mass index.
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Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over a period of 13 years. Over the course of the study, they found that all of the participants tended to gain weight, but the nondrinkers gained the most. In fact, the women’s weight gain decreased as the reported alcohol intake increased.
The drink that was best in helping keep off the pounds was red wine, but all kinds of alcohol were included in the study, and all showed similar results. One notable difference is that women in the study tended to substitute their alcohol for food, and consumed fewer calories than non drinkers.
Although alcohol also seems to slow down men’s appetites, the study suggests that moderate drinking appears to give a slight boost to a woman’s metabolism. But, don’t head out on a bender just yet. Despite the latest findings, alcohol won’t be used as a tool to combat obesity any time soon.
