Is Your Glass of Wine Loaded With Sugar?

Q: True or false — alcohol turns into sugar in the body.

Via Joy Bauer -

A:  "False. In fact, not only is it impossible for alcohol to turn into sugar in the body, it also tends to lower blood sugar levels. This effect is so well documented that diabetics are advised to adjust their insulin and oral medications if they drink alcoholic beverages. Of course, this only refers to straight liquor and wine. Cocktails made with sugary mixers are another story.

Alcohol is the only nutrient other than fat, protein, and carbohydrate that contains calories, and like these other nutrients, excess alcohol calories can be stored. The storage form for alcohol is triglycerides, which is a fancy name for fat. In other words, alcohol acts more like fat in your body than sugar! This is why one of the first things I recommend for my clients with elevated triglyceride levels (a known risk for heart disease) is an immediate reduction or elimination of alcohol.

Even if your triglycerides are in good shape, alcohol is still bad news when it comes to weight loss. That's because it doesn't fill you up like food calories do. Also, it reduces your inhibitions, so you end up eating more of the wrong foods.

If you do enjoy alcoholic beverages, my advice is to keep it moderate. That's one five-ounce glass of wine, one 12-ounce beer, or one and a half ounces of hard liquor per day. And try your best to avoid sugary mixers like syrups, tonic, juices and regular soda."