Alcohol sugar contains more calories gram per gram than normal carbs - and a little less than fat. Only about five per cent of alcohol calories ever become fat. This is because the body uses the alcohol as energy-all the while leaving fat where it is. Why? Because alcohol is broken down by the liver, first into a substance called acetaldehyde, and then into acetate, which is the substance that prevents fat from being burned as energy.
Alcohol increases appetite by stimulating the liver to convert stored sugar (glycogen) into glucose (blood sugar). The excess glucose stimulates insulin production, and insulin in turn stimulates the powerful fat storage hormone lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which is responsible for “beer-belly syndrome” by directing fat to the abdominal cavity for storage.
Alcohol also expands your waistline by causing a rise in the muscle-wasting stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol breaks down muscle tissue-causing a decline in your overall ability to burn calories. One single night of drinking can raise cortisol for up to 24 hours.
The reason we experience the dreaded “hangover” is due to the substance acetaldehyde. As alcohol is metabolized into acetate, some of the acetaldehyde escapes the breakdown and is released into the bloodstream. Acetaldehyde happens to be a very potent neurotoxin that causes a great deal of free-radical damage, and the morning-after headache.
