Is an alcohol calorie equal to a food calorie?

Is an alcohol calorie the same as a food calorie when it comes to gaining weight?  Is someone more likely to gain from an alcohol calorie than a food calorie?

I think alcohol calories are considered empty calories? and it?s like? 4 calories per gram. So, yeah, you can gain weight from consuming too much alcohol, just the same as with anything else. Like, beer is very high in caloric content...

beer = good

To be more specific, would I gain more weight consuming 100 calories of beer than 100 calories of broccoli?  

A calorie is a calorie and if we're only talking about 100 calories, then I don't see a difference. Keep to your daily totals and a few drinks during the week won't harm your diet.

Beer IS good! 

I couldnt believe I drank 400 calories yesterday, 2 cosmopolitan's!  Good thing I dont drink much anymore! Not being a calorie counter before now, I had no idea how many calories are in alcohol! 

I think in the cosmos the added mix is what makes it more caloric.

Alcohol calories are the same as any other calorie. However, alcohol is not filling at ALL, and you can easily consume too many calories if you drink a few alcoholic beverages one night. Counting calories can help with that, of course.

I think alcohol calories are considered empty calories? and it?s like? 4 calories per gram. So, yeah, you can gain weight from consuming too much alcohol, just the same as with anything else. Like, beer is very high in caloric content...


Actually, alcoholic beverages average to 7 calories per gram.
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-14-2005-8 3936.asp

Here's a listing of many drinks and their information:
http://www.rochester.edu/uhs/healthtopics/Alc ohol/caloricvalues.html
http://www.weightlossforall.com/calories-alco hol.htm

You have to look at it as a calorie is a calorie, but a;cohol may be different. Some studies have shown that it may not work that way:

Body Weight. Although alcohol has a relatively high caloric value, 7.1 Calories per gram (as a point of reference, 1 gram of carbohydrate contains 4.5 Calories, and 1 gram of fat contains 9 Calories), alcohol consumption does not necessarily result in increased body weight. An analysis of data collected from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) found that although drinkers had significantly higher intakes of total calories than nondrinkers, drinkers were not more obese than nondrinkers. In fact, women drinkers had significantly lower body weight than nondrinkers. As alcohol intake among men increased, their body weight decreased. An analysis of data from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) and other large national studies found similar results for women, although the relationship between drinking and body weight for men isinconsistent. Although moderate doses of alcohol added to the diets of lean men and women do not seem to lead to weight gain, some studies have reported weight gain when alcohol is added to the diets of overweight persons.

When chronic heavy drinkers substitute alcohol for carbohydrates in their diets, they lose weight and weigh less than their nondrinking counterparts. Furthermore, when chronic heavy drinkers add alcohol to an otherwise normal diet, they do not gain weight. link

But when you drink alcohol it also shuts off all fat burning until the alcohol is used up.

the thing with alcohol is that not only does it have a lot of calories but you need to eat food as well to absorb the alcohol.

I'm in college and am have always been natrually pretty small. When people ask me how I stay skinny, they are expecting a miracle diet or something, but I just say that I rarely drink and I never drink beer. That's saving me the 200 calories a can plus the extra food needed to absorb the alcohol. Those pople are usually dissappointed as they want both worlds.

My problem is I have a drink, get all relaxed and happy then go "screw the diet" and before you know it the whole pipe of Pringles has disappeared!!

Whilst beer IS good, it's also v v bad (for me anyhow)

alcohol doesn't have to be digested, it is easily absorbed into the bloodstream, so I would think that since food needs to be digested and that burns calories, you would have more of a chance to gain weight from alcohol than food. && you're always more apt to eat when you're consuming alcohol

1gram Fat = 9 calories
1gram Carbohydrate = 4 calories
1gram Protein = 4 calories
1gram Alcohol = 7.5 calories

I believe that i have read alcohol actually slows the metabolism down quite considerably. You store more fat when drinking.

Yeah I remember reading that no fat stored or calories from anything eaten prior to drinking are burned because all your body is concentrating on is processing the alcolhol. Your metabolism is also a lot slower the day after drinking too.

yeah heavy alcohol consumption is bad. The last two posts hit the nail on the head. After I graduated college and started working and kept up with my usual drinking habits. ummm.. bad news bears.. before I knew it I was up 15 pounds in the first year! granted I was drinking heavily and eating just as heavily..

Alcohol is a toxin, thus the body prioritises its metbolism over other energy sources (such a fat, CHO and protein) to ensure it is removed from the body as quickly as possible. In the process of its metabolism, it produces acetate, which enters the bloodstream. This byproduct, acetate takes precedent as a fuel source for the body, and this is believed to put a halt on the break down of fat. Thus fat gets stored in the tissues instead of being metabolised (i.e. instead of being broken down and used as an energy source). So its not just the higher calorie content (with zero nutrient value)thats a concern, its the fact that it alters your fat metabolism and prevents it being broken down, and instead, stores it as body fat.

Alcohol is also an appetite stimulant, so it can cause you to passively overconsume calories, thus leading to weight gain long term.

So in answer to your question, it would be better to eat 100calories from brocolli than drink it from alcohol. I assure you this will be much more filling (therefore prevent overeating). It will also be of much greater nutritional value to your body.

Hope that helps

Karina (MSc, BSc, APD, Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist)