Drinking On Keto: Weight Loss Friend Or Foe?

The ketogenic (keto) diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and moderate-protein diet that has gained popularity for its potential to aid weight loss. While it is possible to drink alcohol while on the keto diet, it is important to understand how alcohol can impact both the diet and overall health. Alcohol can slow down the rate of ketosis, as the liver prioritises processing it over converting fatty acids into ketones. Additionally, alcoholic beverages with high carbohydrate content, such as beer, can hinder ketosis. However, moderate consumption of low-carb drinks like wine or pure spirits may be permissible within the keto diet. It is crucial to maintain a caloric deficit to achieve weight loss, and alcohol can provide extra calories. Furthermore, alcohol can lower inhibitions, leading to unhealthy food choices and increased consumption. The keto diet also lowers alcohol tolerance, and individuals may experience worse hangovers. While the keto diet and alcohol consumption can coexist, moderation is essential to maintain progress and overall health.

Alcohol can slow down ketosis

The liver converts fat into ketones, which the body can use as energy. However, when alcohol is present in the body, the liver will prioritise processing and removing this toxin from the body. This means that the liver will slow down the process of converting fatty acids into ketones.

Alcohol can therefore slow down ketosis, and by extension, weight loss. It is important to note that alcohol is not stored in the body like carbohydrates, protein or fat. Instead, it essentially stops the metabolism of other types of calories until it is broken down.

The calories from alcohol still count towards your total daily intake. Even if alcohol accounts for some of your daily calories, weight loss can still occur if a caloric deficit is maintained.

However, alcohol can also reduce inhibitions and increase cravings, which may lead to choosing less healthy, non-keto foods and eating more of them. This can further slow down ketosis and weight loss.

Wine is more keto-friendly than beer

If you're following a keto diet, you may be wondering if you can still enjoy a drink. The good news is that there are plenty of low-carb alcoholic beverages that can be enjoyed in moderation. However, it's important to remember that alcohol can affect your judgment and willpower, and it may be easier to make the choice to eat or drink something that is not within your diet plan.

The impact of alcohol on keto

When on a keto diet, the body tends to burn alcohol before anything else. This means that drinking alcohol can slow down weight loss. Alcohol can also make you want to eat more and affect your decision-making, potentially leading to the consumption of foods that are not keto-friendly. In addition, alcohol can contribute to nutritional deficiencies and gradual weight gain over time.

Wine vs. beer on keto

When it comes to choosing between wine and beer on a keto diet, wine is the better option. Wine, especially dry wine, is much lower in carbs than beer, with a typical glass of dry wine containing only 2 grams of net carbs. On the other hand, beer is made from grains, which provide a lot of rapidly digestible carbs. Most beers are high in carbs and should be avoided on keto, with a typical can of beer containing 12 grams of carbs or more.

Keto-friendly mixers

If you're looking to mix your drink, it's important to choose low-carb options. Pure spirits like whiskey, brandy, cognac, vodka, gin, and tequila contain zero carbs and are fine on keto. However, be careful with mixers as they can quickly turn a carb-free drink into a high-calorie carb bomb. Opt for low-carb mixers like diet soda, seltzer, diet tonic water, and powdered flavor packets.

Other keto-friendly drinks

In addition to wine and spirits with low-carb mixers, there are other keto-friendly drinks to consider. Champagne and sparkling wine contain an average of 4.68 grams of carbs per glass, so a small glass can fit within most keto diet plans. Pale lager is a lighter option for beer, with an average of 5.81 grams of carbs per can. Both red and white wine contain relatively few carbs, with about 4.7 grams in a standard glass. Dry wines have the lowest sugar content.

Keto diet can worsen hangovers

While it is possible to drink alcohol and stay in ketosis, drinking alcohol while following a keto diet can have some unexpected side effects. One of these is worsening hangovers.

When you're in ketosis, alcohol hits your system faster and stronger than it did when your body was housing more carbohydrates. Your alcohol tolerance plummets to near zero when you're in ketosis, and you may find yourself becoming intoxicated more quickly and suffering a worse hangover.

More severe hangovers may be the result of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Carbs tend to cause the body to hold on to water, whereas a low-carb or ketogenic diet increases fluid loss, especially in the beginning. To combat this, it is recommended to alternate water between any alcoholic drinks and consider adding some salt and taking magnesium and potassium supplements.

Additionally, alcohol may lower blood glucose because the liver is busy metabolizing the alcohol and unable to produce glucose through gluconeogenesis. This can lead to an increased risk of alcoholic ketoacidosis, where ketones are very high in the blood, but blood glucose is normal or even dangerously low.

Therefore, it is important to be careful when mixing alcohol with a low-carb or keto diet. While drinking in moderation may not cause any harm for those with healthy livers, no weight loss issues, and no trouble stopping at one drink, it is crucial to be aware of the potential for worsened hangovers and other harmful effects.

Alcohol may increase unhealthy food cravings

Secondly, alcohol stimulates or inhibits neurochemical systems that regulate appetite. It affects the hormones Leptin and GLP-1, which suppress appetite. When alcohol enters the body, these hormones are inhibited, resulting in feelings of hunger even when one is actually full. Alcohol also stimulates the same neurons in the brain that are triggered when the body enters starvation mode, which can lead to ethanol-induced overeating.

Thirdly, alcohol reduces self-control, making it more likely for individuals to give in to food cravings and overeating. Behavioural changes from drinking alcohol can lower inhibitions and decrease defences, particularly when it comes to making healthy food choices and practising portion control.

Furthermore, alcohol causes blood sugar levels to spike and fall, stimulating the brain to feel hungry and prompting the consumption of unhealthy foods to quickly satiate it.

Therefore, it is important to be mindful of these physiological effects of alcohol and to practise moderation when drinking to avoid unhealthy food cravings and potential weight gain.

Lower alcohol tolerance on keto

The ketogenic diet can lead to a lower alcohol tolerance. This is due to the diet's effect on the body's glycogen levels. Glycogen is a substance that the body produces from carbohydrates, and it plays a role in absorbing alcohol. During ketosis, the body enters a state where it burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. As a result, there are very low levels of glycogen in the body. This means that there are fewer substances available to absorb alcohol, leading to a lower alcohol tolerance.

The absence of carbohydrates and other sources of energy during ketosis also causes alcohol to reach the bloodstream quicker and be processed more rapidly. This further contributes to the reduced tolerance to alcohol.

The lower alcohol tolerance associated with the ketogenic diet can be a surprising and significant effect. It is important for individuals on the keto diet to be aware of this change and adjust their alcohol consumption accordingly. Drinking in moderation is generally recommended, and it is crucial to never drink and drive, especially when following a low-carb or keto diet.

In addition to lower alcohol tolerance, individuals on the keto diet may also experience worse hangovers. This could be due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances caused by the keto diet's tendency to increase fluid loss. To mitigate this, it is recommended to drink water between alcoholic beverages and consider taking electrolyte supplements.

While the keto diet can lead to lower alcohol tolerance and potentially worse hangovers, it is important to note that the impact of alcohol on weight loss is more complex. Alcohol can interrupt the ketosis state and add extra calories to the diet. However, if a caloric deficit is maintained even after consuming alcohol, weight loss can still occur.

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