A few years ago, a survey was done in Australia. Five hundred Australians of drinking age were asked which beer was most likely to “avoid weight gain”. 87% indicated low-carbohydrate (carb) beer.
Another survey examined the prevalence of Americans who had ever been on a low-carb diet or thought about buying low-carb products. Four out of five Americans had never been on a low-carb diet, and only one in five indicated that they would think about buying a low-carb product. Fewer than a third of the survey respondents said that they would be more likely to buy a low-carb version of their favorite food.
However, when it comes to alcohol, it appears to be a fad to choose the low-carb version.
This is an idea really too good to be true: low-carb beer allows for guilt-free drinking and presumably the end of the old beer belly. The marketing pitch has certainly worked; sales of low carb beer have more than doubled in the past year.
The average beer contains about 145 calories and 11 grams of carbs per 12-ounce serving. Most low carb beers contain between 95-110 calories and between 2-7 grams of carbs per 12 ounce serving, which is certainly an improvement over regular beer. However, let us not be fooled by the ‘light’ label. Although Bud Light has 110 calories, Michelob Light has 134 calories. Also, the fewer calories and carbs in low-carb beer may increase the risk of consuming more cans or bottles given the release from guilt associated with ‘regular-carb’ beer consumption.
Low carbs are certainly good for your waistline. This concept is correct; however, here when it comes to alcohol, this can stimulate cortisol secretion, which in turn causes weight gain.
Budweiser Select (55 cals) is probably one of the lowest calorie brews available. Keep in mind that this beer has less than 3% alcohol content, so you might as well take a glass of orange juice, except that the caloric content of 8 ounces of orange juice is about 110 calories.
If you are serious about losing weight, especially belly fat, the best strategy would be to skip alcohol altogether, or limit this if possible.
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