Most adults in the United States drink alcohol at least occasionally, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Doing so typically is not a problem as long as you consume only a moderate amount. This generally safe level of drinking equals one standard drink or less each day for women and two standard drinks or less each day for men.
Features of Alcohol
A standard serving of alcohol consists of 0.6 oz., or 13.7g, of undiluted alcohol. Consequently, a standard alcoholic beverage is one that contains the same amount of undiluted alcohol. Common measures of standard alcoholic drinks include 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled liquor or spirits such as gin or whiskey, 5 oz. of wine, 8 oz. of malt liquor and 12 oz. of normal beer or mixed wine drinks such as wine coolers.
Calories in Alcohol
Every gram of undiluted alcohol contains roughly 7 calories. Thus, a standard alcoholic beverage with the standard 13.7g of pure alcohol provides approximately 13.7 times that many calories, or about 96 calories. The number of calories in a drink may vary, however, depending on how much undiluted alcohol it contains, in addition to other ingredients such as juice and sugar. As a result, standard alcoholic beverages range in calories from about 96 for a 1.5-oz. serving of 80-proof liquor such as rum or vodka to about 144 for a 12-oz. serving of non-light beer.
Nutrients in Alcohol
Although alcohol contains a significant number of calories when consumed in standard serving sizes, the beverage does not supply any of the useful nutrients your body requires. Even worse, excessive alcohol intake can actually have a harmful effect on your body's ability to process other nutrients you consume. For instance, drinking alcohol regularly can interfere with the production of digestive substances that break down nutrients and prevent your body from absorbing nutrients properly.
Alcohol Calorie Considerations
People who drink alcohol can end up consuming a lot of calories that provide no nutrition benefits if they do not carefully monitor their intake. Consequently, reducing the number of calories from alcohol in your diet can help you drink more moderately and safely, and it can also create room for foods that provide better nutrition. You can decrease your consumption of alcohol calories by diluting drinks with low- or no-calorie mixers such as diet soda or seltzer, ordering nonalcoholic versions of drinks, alternating between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages and avoiding mixed drinks containing high-calorie ingredients such as fruit juice, regular soda or tonic water.
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