Low-carb diets became popular in the late 1990s, with the Atkins Diet leading the pack. Since then, different low-carb diets have emerged, and for many people seeking to lose weight this approach is successful. Low-carb dieters can consume alcohol and remain faithful to the plan, but there are very specific forms of alcohol that are compatible with low-carb dieting, and low-carb dieters must be vigilant and pay attention to detail.
History
Although the Atkins diet was first published in 1972, the low-carb diet's popularity reached its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s. According to Dr. Robert Atkins' low-carb approach, documented in his book "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution," revised in 2001, patients should count carbohydrates consumed each day, rather than focusing on calories, and a restricted carbohydrate diet could lead to rapid weight loss. Withholding carbohydrates lowers the need for the body to produce insulin and helps the body to burn fat stores, leading to faster weight loss.
Low-carb diets of any kind follow the same basic premise, recommending that dieters restrict total "net carbs" to 20 to 100 per day. As the article "Atkins Diet: What's Behind the Claims?" from the Mayo Clinic website notes, net carbs are the total number of carbs in a food minus carbs not processed by the body, such as fiber. A food such as broccoli might have 2.3 carbohydrates per serving but one gram of fiber, leaving 1.3 net carbs.
There are three categories of alcohol for consumption in low-carb dieting: wine, beer, and liquor. Each has a different effect on a low-carb diet.
Considerations
The three categories of alcohol--wine, beer, and liquor--involve distinct carbohydrate profiles. C.W. Bamforth of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis, addresses the issue of beer and carbs in the 2005 article "Beer, Carbohydrates, and Diet" by outlining the carbohydrate count in different types of beers and the role of beer in low-carb dieting. A single serving of beer ranges from two to 12 carbs and can easily be managed as part of a low-carb diet.
Wine is a safe, low-carb option as well, with most dry reds and whites one carb or less. The only exceptions are dessert or ice wines, which can have a higher sugar component and a carb count as high as 20 per serving.
Spirits or hard liquor have zero carbohydrates. The following are approved by Dr. Atkins in his book: scotch, vodka, gin and rye.
Effects
Consuming any alcohol on a low-carb diet prevents the body from burning fat stores and forces the body to metabolize the alcohol instead.
Misconceptions
According to Wendi A. Benault in her article "'Net Carbs: The Lowdown on Low-Carb Labeling" in the July 2005 issue of "Nutrition Bytes," the idea that only net carbs need to be counted on a low-carb diet may be misleading. The body does metabolize and use many carbs that are dismissed when calculating net carbs, slowing down weight loss and frustrating dieters.
Warnings
Heavy drinking is not recommended for anyone, but especially for dieters on a low-carb plan in the initial stages. Alcohol is metabolized by the liver, and during the first two weeks of most low-carb diets the liver is busy processing fat loss. More than one to two servings of alcohol per day can inhibit weight loss and put excess strain on the liver.
A study of the low-carb versus low-fat diets for long-term weight loss, conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and published in the March 2, 2010, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that while a low-carb diet leads to faster weight loss, a low-fat diet leads to long-term, sustained weight loss. Low-carb diets are not associated with long-term weight loss.
References
- Atkins, Dr. Robert C. Dr. Atkins' New Revolution: The Low-Carb Approach. Harper: 2001.
- "Net Carbs": The Lowdown on Low-Carb Labeling
- Markham, Dr. Douglas J. Low-Carb Cocktails. Simon & Schuster, 2004.
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