Calories and Weight

Alcohol, as with many other beverages, is best consumed in moderation. Its effect on the body, in terms of weight loss or gain, has been found to be immeasurable because its impact is so insignificant.

While alcohol cannot be directly correlated with weight loss, its consumption does impact one's metabolic rate, resulting in the shedding of calories rather than storing alcohol's components as fat in the body. Alcohol consists of seven calories per gram, and research has concluded that a person's consumption of alcohol is directly correlated with reduced consumption of sugar.

The alcoholic content of a beverage is commonly measured by Alcohol by Volume. This is a standard of measurement that is used worldwide. Alcohol by Volume is determined by the volume of solute divided by the volume of the solution, which is then multiplied by 100%.

Another form of measurement is Alcoholic Proof, which is always two times the amount of the Alcohol by Volume. Alcohol by volume simply refers to the amount of alcohol that is contained in the beverage in contrast to the total volume of the beverage itself.

Consumption of alcohol in moderation has been found to positively correlate with longevity, much more so than abuse of alcohol and even total abstinence from drinking. Moderation has commonly been defined as two drinks for a male and one drink for a female per day.

One drink consists of:

• A five-ounce glass of wine.
• A 12-ounce can or bottle of beer.
• A shot of liquor.

What is not consumed one day does not carry over to another day. That is to say that if you are a man who does not drink alcohol on Monday, it does not mean you can have four beers (double) on Tuesday.