Wine makes you fat: is it really like that or is it just a legend?
Wine is a very ancient drink rich in beneficial substances for the body, however many have banned it from their diet because they fear it will make you fat. Is it true that drinking a glass of wine every now and then is so harmful to the diet or can we indulge in it? How many calories does it contain? Is it better red or white? Let's find out together. And if you want to know what other antioxidant-rich foods are, don't miss this video.
The nutritional values and calories of wine
There are many people who wonder if wine makes you fat or not. To find out, the only solution is to look at its nutritional values and calories. Wine brings about 7 kcal per gram, therefore, knowing that an average glass contains about 125 ml of liquid, it can be concluded that it provides between 70 and 80 calories. Much depends, however, also on the alcoholic strength of the drink: the higher it is, in fact, the more caloric the wine will be. sugars, consequently, are also present in wine.
This is the reason behind the caloric difference (albeit minimal) between white wine and red wine. A glass of red, in fact, provides about 85 kcal, while a glass of white about 82. This is because white wine is generally less sugary and drier, therefore also lighter. However, there are very sweet white wines (such as, for example, the typical dessert wines), which although not red are still very caloric. Establishing a priori whether white or red makes you fat less is therefore very difficult, because it all depends on the alcohol content in the bottle. For example, champagne provides 90 kcal while sparkling wine over 200, prosecco, on the other hand, is more dietetic: "only" 84 kcal per glass.
Is it better to drink wine or beer so as not to get fat? If you are asking yourself this question, know that they are both two drinks that have health benefits, as long as you never abuse them. With the same calories, beer is lighter because it contains less: in fact, it provides much less simple sugars, however it is rich in gas. This is the main cause of the abdominal swelling that comes after drinking a pint of beer, as opposed to wine which tends not to make you swell.
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Can you drink wine if you are on a diet?
Now that we have established how many calories it contains approximately in a glass of wine, one wonders: does wine make you fat or not? Can it be drunk when you are on a diet? And if so, what quantity is allowed? that no food is absolutely forbidden, even more so red wine which is also a good source of natural antioxidants such as resveratrol and polyphenols. This drink is, however, still a not indifferent sugar concentrate, therefore it should be consumed in moderation.
It is preferable to drink wine during meals (and not on an empty stomach) because alcohol is absorbed more easily and harms the liver less; in general, even within the Mediterranean diet the occasional consumption of a small amount of wine is expected. Many nutritionists have set a limit for the daily intake of wine for women and two for men. This indication, however, in addition to not being shared unanimously, should not be applied to overweight people who must try to limit sugars, who can certainly not consume it every day.
Wine is good: science says so
Beyond the fact that wine provides sugars, which are not really allies for the diet, it also contains numerous beneficial substances for our body, such as the famous polyphenols and resveratrol, powerful antioxidants that prevent damage caused by free radicals. According to a study conducted by the University of Alberta, Canada, it seems that the resveratrol present in wine can protect against cardiovascular diseases.
Even studies conducted by Harvard University seem to agree in showing that drinking a glass of red wine in moderation every now and then is less painful than not drinking at all and also has a certain preventive function against obesity. However, women have a maximum allowable threshold lower than that of men (who can even reach two glasses a day), as well as the elderly who should not exceed half a glass.
A few glasses of good red wine (perhaps not treated with pesticides, as the sommeliers recommend) therefore seems to be good for your health, carrying out a "protective action against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. But it is better to drink it during a tasting, calmly and in moderation. , accompanying it with good food and without exceeding the quantities.
Let's dispel some myths about wine consumption
The effects of alcohol consumption on our body are not always what we think. Many, for example, confidently affirm that in order not to feel the cold it is enough to drink a few glasses of alcohol: nothing could be more wrong! Alcohol, in fact, although apparently it can give a sensation of heat, in reality after a short time it helps to cool the peripheral blood vessels and to disperse the heat.
Another legend linked to drinking wine is the one that believes that this drink gives strength to the body. In reality, alcohol has a sedative effect that does not make you feel physical effort but does not contribute in any way to increasing strength.
How many times have our grandmothers told us that red wine makes good blood, as if it had some effect on the number of red blood cells in our body! On the contrary, several studies have shown that excessive consumption of this substance leads to the development of dangerous forms of anemia. Furthermore, it is not true that alcohol quenches thirst (indeed, it promotes dehydration of the body) and does not speed up digestion.
In conclusion, consuming wine during a tasting or during a large meal is certainly less harm than drinking a few glasses all in one gulp, however we must remember that a moderate consumption of this drink manages to make us enjoy the benefits and not get us taken. weight.
