Many people believe that alcohol causes them to lose weight. Indeed, consuming alcohol has been shown to increase your metabolic rate, which helps speed up the body’s fat-burning process.
However, while alcohol offers several health benefits, it also has some undesirable effects. For example, drinking too much alcohol can lead to dehydration and, in extreme cases, even organ failure. Because of this, it is not recommended to rely on alcohol to shed the pounds. Even in small amounts, alcohol interferes with the body’s natural chemistry, causing cells to malfunction and leading to potentially serious health problems. For this reason, drinking alcohol is discouraged.
Health Benefits Of Alcohol
Alcohol has been shown to fight infections, lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, relieve pain, and more. Below are some of the reasons why you might want to drink alcohol.
Anti-infective Properties
Alcohol is often touted as having “anti-infective properties.” It has been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi, including some strains that are resistant to antibiotics. Scientists are still trying to determine exactly how much alcohol is needed to demonstrate these properties, but most likely, it will be a dose-dependent manner.
Analgesic Properties
Besides fighting infections, alcohol has been found to be effective in relieving pain and discomfort. Indeed, drinking alcohol can be a helpful treatment for arthritis, gout, and other forms of arthritis. It can also produce a soothing effect when taken in higher doses before bedtime.
Nutritional Benefits
Alcohol has a variety of nutritional benefits. It contains a substance called ethanol that provides the body with calories. However, because it is easily damaged by water, the energy in alcohol is quickly depleted. As a result, alcohol has a very short shelf life, which makes it difficult to keep in stock for long periods of time.
Other Helpful Facts
Alcohol has been shown to be helpful in treating a variety of health issues. It may therefore be desirable to drink alcohol in order to obtain the various benefits that it has to offer. However, because alcohol is a toxin and a poison in high doses, it should be avoided in those who already have health problems. Likewise, heavy alcohol use can lead to dependence, and people who are dependent on alcohol cannot regulate their behavior in many ways, which puts them at risk of harm.
Disadvantages Of Alcohol
Alcohol has a number of disadvantages as well. First, drinking too much can cause you to lose a significant amount of water, which in turn, makes you dehydrated. Second, in rare instances, people can develop a tolerance for alcohol and require larger doses to get the same effect. Third, when alcohol is metabolized by the body, it produces a compound called acetaldehyde, which is toxic and can cause damage to various organs in the human body. Last, but not least, alcohol can interfere with the body’s natural chemistry, which means that it can cause cells to malfunction, leading to serious health problems.
Does Alcohol Make You Lose Weight?
The answer to this question is yes and no. On the one hand, alcohol has been shown to increase your metabolic rate and, as a result, speed up the body’s fat-burning process. On the other hand, drinking too much alcohol can lead to dehydration and, in some cases, even organ failure. Because of this, it would not be advisable to rely solely on alcohol to lose the pounds. Even in small amounts, it can have potentially serious health consequences. For this reason, it is best to try and avoid alcohol when you are trying to lose weight.
Recommendations
If you are interested in trying out alcohol as a dietary supplement in order to lose weight, then it would be wise to consult with your doctor beforehand. This way, you can be sure that you will not end up with any significant health problems due to alcohol abuse. In general, alcohol should not be used as a weight loss aid because of its numerous disadvantages. Instead, it should only be eaten in moderation or, at most, used in topical preparations or for medical reasons.