An intriguing new study from the Archives of Internal Medicine found that regular consumption of light to moderate amounts of alcohol decreased a woman’s likelihood to pack on the pounds or become overweight  compared to non-alcohol drinkers over  a time span of 13 years. And YES, this was found true even after adjusting for potential confounders like baseline body mass index, smoking, other calorie sources, exercise, and lifestyle and dietary factors.

The 411

Parker-Pope from the New York Time’s Well blog fabulously summed up the results … Read on … they’re uber interesting …

“The findings … are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 39 or older who, at the start of the study, fell into the “normal weight” category based on their body mass index. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over 13 years. About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol.

Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight or obese. Although alcohol is packed with calories (about 150 in a six-ounce glass of wine), the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time: nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers. The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol beverages a day, compared with nondrinkers.”

Other Interesting Notes

Other studies have shown this same phenomenon and some have disagreed. Regardless, what has been pretty consistent in studies looking at alcohol intake and weight gain is its effect on men. Again, sorry boys, but data shows this one just isn’t in your favor. Simply because men tend to drink on top of their regular “fooding” schedule; whereas, women will compensate, giving up something else in exchange for the booze (i.e. man will have burger + shake + fries + beers; woman will have burger + salad + wine). What further tilts the favor in a  woman’s  glass is the effect alcohol may have on her metabolism.  In metabolic studies, alcohol has shown to increase a woman’s metabolism, but do little, if anything, to rev a man’s metabolic engine.

Bottom Line

Hitting up your neighborhood pub or becoming known as “Ms. Happy Hour” will not help your healthifying ways or your waistline. Especially, if that happy hour turns into a “Happy Day” and ONE drink suddenly turns into drinks + buffalo chicken wings + something fried … heck—you really can’t tell what it is (but that’s A-okay because you got it on the house for being such a loyal local pub supporter and “Papa Joe” just can’t get enough of your smiling face ) Only kidding!

Basically, don’t ransack your local liquor store to help lose weight because other studies have shown that alcohol makes it harder for overweight women to lose weight. Plus, alcohol may increase risk of breast cancer, cause trouble sleeping, and can negatively affect weight loss. So, if you ask me, and you don’t drink, there’s NO NEED to start. The study’s main finding is that if women are having weight problems and are only drinking in moderation, there must be something in their life to healthify to help nix the problemo in the bud. And, just so we’re on the same page here one drink is equal to:

• 12-ounces of beer
• 8-ounces of malt liquor
• 5-ounces of wine
• 1.5-ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey)

Happy Healthifying!

What are your thoughts on this provocative study?!?

“Alcohol Consumption, Weight Gain, and Risk of Becoming Overweight in Middle-aged and Older Women.”
Lu Wang; I-Min Lee; JoAnn E. Manson; Julie E. Buring; Howard D. Sesso.
Arch Intern Med., Vol. 170 No. 5, pp 453-461, March 8, 2010.

Being the “semi-snoop” I am, I listened to what people were ordering and peered at  the ready-to-drink cups cradled in their pebble brown sleeves marked with their “order code.” I realized everyone was buying the Holiday drinks!!! Interesting…

Personally, I always buy a Venti Tazo Passion tea—hot–with 2 tea bags. Hence, I am somewhat “out of sorts” when it comes to all these Holiday offerings. I remember the Pumpkin Spice latte—but the Caramel Brulee, Eggnog, Peppermint Mocha, and Gingerbread Lattes I was not on the nutrition “up and up” about.

Hence—I did some “nutrition research” on what the folks in that crazy line were waiting to buy. I took the most decadent way you can have one of these prepared—Venti (largest size), whipped cream, whole milk—and compared it to the “healthiest” way to have one prepared—Tall (smallest size), no whip, and non-fat milk. Also—I of course showcased my herbal infused natural tea and some plain ol’ Joe.

Shall we?

1. The Caramel Brulee Latte (Venti, whole milk, whipped cream)

• 580 calories
• 20 grams fat
• 12 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 86 grams carbohydrate
• 66 grams sugar
• 14 grams protein

2. The Caramel Brulee Latte (Tall, non-fat milk, whipped cream)

• 240 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 50 grams carbohydrate
• 38 grams sugar
• 9 grams of protein

3. Eggnog latte (Venti, whole milk)

• 630 calories
• 30 grams fat
• 17 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 69 grams carbohydrate
• 64 grams sugar
• 21 grams protein

4. Eggnog latte (Tall, non-fat milk)

• 350 calories
• 15 grams fat
• 9 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 42 grams carbohydrate
• 39 grams sugar
• 13 grams protein

5. Peppermint Mocha latte (Venti, whole milk, whip cream)

• 540 calories
• 22 grams fat
• 13 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 78 grams carbohydrate
• 67 grams sugar
• 16 grams protein

6. Peppermint Mocha Latte (Tall, non-fat milk, no whip)

• 220 calories
• 2 grams fat
• 1 gram saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 46 grams carbohydrate
• 40 grams sugar
• 10 grams protein

7. Gingerbread Latte (Venti, whole milk, whipped cream)

• 440 calories
• 21 grams fat
• 12 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 48 grams carbohydrate
• 46 grams sugar
• 15 grams protein

8. Gingerbread Latte  (Tall, non-fat milk, no whip)

• 150 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 29 grams carbohydrate
• 29 grams sugar
• 9 grams protein

9. Venti Passion Tea (HOT)

• 0 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 0 grams carbohydrate
• 0 grams sugar
• 0 grams protein

10. Venti Black Coffee

• 5 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• 0 grams carbohydrate
• 0 grams sugar
• 1 gram protein

WOWZA!!!

Some of these  Holiday favorites pack enough calories for a meal!!! And, beyond calories—some are loaded with not so heart healthy fat! To go even beyond the high calories and fat  in these beverages is the fact that they offer little nutrition. They offer a wee-bit to NO phytochemicals (those lil’ chemicals in plants that help protect us from disease), vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, heart healthy fats, or fiber!!!

Hence, I advise you to limit these beverages NOT ONLY because they’re high in calories, added sugars, and perhaps fat BUT because they’re taking the place of nutritious wholesome foods in your diet! A SHAME, if you ask me!

Bottom line

Opt for tea, coffee, or a low-fat/non-fat regular ol’ cappuccino or latte instead of one of these drinks. But, if you insist on getting in the Starbucks Holiday Spirit—go ahead and have one. I’d suggest the Tall non-fat/low-fat version with no whip.  BUT, if you insist on going “all out,” have the “full-on” version… and savor every succulent drop!!! And, just a word of advice—I wouldn’t do this every day—your body and perhaps jeans, after awhile, won’t thank you. And, to be perfectly honest … neither will your bank account! Those suckers are expensive!!!

FYI!!! The lovely Jessica at A Fete for Food just informed you can order a “SHORT” for all these drinks–even smaller than the Tall. I wasn’t sure you could, but now I know! Thanks Jess! To get the info on the “shortie” visit Starbucks nutrition information page.

Happy Healthifying!

What’s your favorite Holiday beverage???