Healthiest alcohol while dieting...?

[WOOO]

This is a serious question... I do not drink to get drunk, rather I drink socially for work as well as to relax after a long day.  I've been taking it easy in terms of beer consumption (usually would have 2-3 pints every night after work, now trying to only have 5 pints or less per week) but I do drink real finished english ales (figure it's healthier, although higher in calories, than filtered beer)...

Anyway, I also enjoy different spirits, primarily whiskeys/bourbons/scotches, but I also like quality rum or vodka... I drink everything straight at room temp.

Tonight I decided on read wine, but 2 x 8oz glasses is like 400 calories...

Does anyone have any experience on the subject?  I'm unable to find any relevant studies indicating which type of alcohol is most conducive to weight loss (it may be that no alcohol is better but I am anti-evangelical in every way and that includes teetotaling...).

[Borracho]

When dieting I used to go for the rum and diet coke. That's about as low in calories as you can get for total amount of alcohol....most bang for your buck so to speak. A Little under 100 cals per drink(1.5 oz). 

[WOOO]

yeah... i don't go for mixed drinks much... hides the taste of the liquor

[Princess L]

Generally clear liquor - gin, vodka, tequila, rum...about 70 calories an ounce.  Vermouth   is about half that (because it has less alcohol I think).

[WOOO]

Generally clear liquor - gin, vodka, tequila, rum...about 70 calories an ounce.  Vermouth   is about half that (because it has less alcohol I think).

yeah... trying to understand the difference in impact to insulin levels, leptin, etc...

there's gotta be a fricken study somewhere... gonna go dig through google again

[WOOO]

wow... found some... got reading to do....

[Borracho]

wow... found some... got reading to do....

I would've thought that alcohol will be processed the same way no matter where its coming from. I figured if dieting than all you would have to worry about is the extra calories but if you found anything let us know.

[WOOO]

I would've thought that alcohol will be processed the same way not matter where its coming from. I figured if dieting than all you would have to worry about is the extra calories but if you found anything let us know.

well the ethanol will be processed in the same way, but I was curious as to whether or not there was any research into the interaction with the other micro/macro nutrients which are present in different alcohol sources...

i'm also curious as to whether certain food/alcohol combinations are healthier than others.

[WOOO]

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/14

interesting article about alcohol's effect on insulin sensitivity



Conclusion

In summary, our studies provide a unique experimental design that can be used to better understand how body fat (lean vs. obese) and alcohol consumption affect insulin resistance. We show that obesity induced insulin resistance and that both calorie restriction and alcohol consumption promoted insulin sensitivity. Because adipose tissue is associated with the development of insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes, we isolated total RNA from WAT, selected genes involved in inflammation and energy metabolism, as well as insulin and growth signaling pathways, to evaluate the effect of diet and alcohol on their expression. Results indicate that HF induced Il-6, Il-1α, and Cd68 pro-inflammatory factors in WAT, while CR had the opposite effect on Il-6 and Il-1α expression. Alcohol oppressed different inflammatory factors including Retnlb and Mif. CR and alcohol increased the anti-inflammatory factors Il-10 and Adrbk1. Genes involved in energy homeostasis and insulin signaling such as Ptgds, Lpin2, Lpin3, and Dusp9 were significantly affected by both diet and alcohol; while, Angptl6, Kcnj11, and Ptpra were affected by diet only. Well established metabolic factors such as Gck, Ins1, Pltp, Apob, and Pck1 were also down-regulated by HF and up-regulated by CR and alcohol (Table 1). This work not only indicates that alcohol and diet have overlapping but distinct pathways in regulating insulin sensitivity, but also provides a foundation for studying target pathways that are involved in alcohol- and diet-regulated insulin sensitivity.

[WOOO]

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/14/6/1576.full

Study supports the idea that moderate alcohol consumption does not impact feelings of satiety through a leptin influencing mechanism...



http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/4/281.full

this supports the opposite (kinda)

[WOOO]

http://www.eje-online.org/content/153/2/283.full


Have to read this one again... hurts my brain

[Deadpool]

I don't know the best but I am pretty sure what we were doing was the worst: Everclear plus cranberry juice.  mmmm.

[Moen]

Vodka is the number 1 bodybuilding drink. Whey-vodka is very popular in clubs here.

[24KT]

I'm not much of a drinker myself. When I do drink, it may be the occasional shot or two of Amaretto in hot chocolate, during the winter months, or the occasional glass of champagne. Don't know how healthy it is, or how chockful of calories, but I do enjoy my champagne. I can't wait to pop open a few of these babies:



It's our very own Karatbars^TM branded champagne by Moet, with a massive Karatbar^TM gold bullion piece on the bottle. Cheers  

[Montague]

I don't know the best but I am pretty sure what we were doing was the worst: Everclear plus cranberry juice.  mmmm.

Everclear is some potent stuff!

I don’t know that it is necessarily “healthy,” but this seems like the best thread for the story...
An old buddy of mine used to have an ABB franchise where I lived at the time. I also had another friend who was competing in a small local show, which I attended. It was a long, monotonous, slow-moving show, and I was bored out of my mind. At one point, my ABB friend invited me behind his table out in the lobby.

I helped hock some Costello products and merchandise, before asking my buddy how he makes it through these things. He pulled out a bottle of flavored Vodka and told me to bring over a bottle of grape Speed Stack.
The rest of the show was quite enjoyable!