Alcohol in vanilla extract

I read on a recent post in the foods forum that alcohol actually makes your body convert foods to fat.  I just wanted to know if this is also true for a small amount of alcohol, such as in vanilla extract (1/2 tsp) a meal's dessert or something.  

i read that here this morning too, but i question the source. i'd need some science to believe it. what i've been taught is that the body converts alcohol to sugar, and then your body does with sugar whatever it does with sugar, so i didn't give that idea too much credence. lots of things have sugar. the body converts all sorts of carbs to sugar, and your brain needs it to function, so ? not sure that the body converts alcohol to fat, as i know some pretty thin alcoholics. 

I don't know about the "converting foods to fat" thing - it seems to me that your body will do that regardless of alcohol if you eat enough of anything and your body doesn't use the calories in some way.

Even if it were the case, the amount in 1/2 tsp of vanilla is so negligible that it wouldn't make a difference.

From what I understand, alcohol slows down  your metabolism because your body will burn it preferentially to fat.  So when you consume alcohol, your body burns that first.  

I agree with everyone else - I don't think the small amount that's in vanilla extract should have any real effect.

went back and read the links in one of the posts on the topic. in one of the studies, wine drinkers lost more weight than grape juice drinkers. does seem my old info on body converting it to sugar is probably wrong, but from the links i read, you aren't putting yourself at any big risk if you drink in moderation. if you drink daily, or alot when you do drink, you might want to reconsider. but the "booze" in vanilla extract is not going to hurt you. 

Aside from the question of whether or not the principle behind the claim is true, one thing to keep in mind is that most recipes that call for vanilla extract are cooked, in which case the alcohol itself evaporates.  Beyond that, most recipes call for a small amount in an entire batch, so an individual serving would only have a miniscule amount of extract anyway.  I think others are also right to question whether or not the amount of alcohol in a 1/2 t of extract is enough to make a differenc, even if you were to consume the entire 1/2 t yourself.

Usually vanilla extract is used in cooking or baking and the alcohol evaporates leaving just the flavoring...on a side note, have you ever tried vanilla extract?  It does NOT taste like it smells and no amount of alcohol is worth that!

You could always buy real vanilla pods... they cost more, but the taste is amazing and quite different to vanilla essence

Original Post by merylwhite1:

You could always buy real vanilla pods... they cost more, but the taste is amazing and quite different to vanilla essence

I'll second this!

There is nothing quite like making creme brulee (or pudding, or ice cream) with REAL vanilla beans - no comparison to extract.  But it is expensive, so I don't get it all that often.