Beer calories are infamous for their effects on your belly. But, studies have shown that drinking beer is not the cause of a “beer belly”. The calories in beer are just like calories in other foods and drinks.

The problem is that people often drink beer excessively and/or irresponsibly. Drinking beer often involves eating snacks or fried foods which contain lots of fat.

And then there is the fact that alcohol consumption of any kind reduces the metabolization of other fats (those chips you ate with the beer).

Beer Calories-How Alcohol Affects You

Most of the beer alcohol you consume is absorbed into your blood quickly and heads straight for your liver where is converted to acetaldehyde which is then converted to acetate. Acetate is then used as fuel for your body.

That in and of itself isn’t bad, it’s the fact that the acetate is being used as fuel instead of your fat reserves, that is the problem.

There have been many studies done on alcohol’s effect on your body’s metabolism. One study showed that fat metabolism dropped by 73% for several hours after just two drinks and another study showed that a few drinks will reduce your fat loss for as long as four days.

So, not only does consuming the alcohol in beer put a stop to fat loss, guess what else is going on. The alcohol is also slashing your testosterone levels.

Just one night of heavy drinking can increase your body’s levels of a muscle-wasting hormone called cortisol and will increase the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours.

And these effects on your testosterone levels are made worse if you exercise before drinking. The effects of alcohol on testosterone may be one reason why people who drink a lot usually have less muscle and more belly fat.

So what does this mean? It means that it is the alcohol in beer that is playing havoc on your metabolism, not the beer calories…

Maltose and the “Beer Belly”

Many believe that the calories in beer that come from maltose are the main culprit for their beer belly.

It is true, maltose is readily digested by your body and is quickly stored as fat. Several diet books have wrongly included beer as a primary source of dieting problems, claiming that the maltose in beer has a glycemic index of 110. That’s 10 more than glucose, and that therefore beer has a glycemic index of 110 and is bad for you. Claiming that beer calories are all from maltose is absurd. Beer is mostly water with some hop oils and a very small percentage of sugars, including maltose.

Most research today reveals that the “beer belly” is caused by overeating and lack of muscle tone. It’s just as easy for non-beer-drinkers who overeat and don’t exercise to get a “beer gut” as it is for beer drinkers.

Can Beer Calories Actually Be Good For You?

Can beer calories actually be good for you? Well, in the early days of brewing, beer was made by the monks to supply needed nutrients during fasting and was called liquid bread.

Beer is made from brewer’s yeast which is known to be a rich source of nutrients.

In fact, it is true that some beer calories can contain significant amounts of nutrients, including magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, and B vitamins. But, be aware that some sources claim that filtering beer removes many of these nutrients.

Some research about beer calories say that moderate intake of low alcohol beer provides strong anti-cancer benefits and intake of beer in general will provide cardiovascular benefits as well.

There is some research showing that it may be something in the beer besides the alcohol, but most research relates the benefits to the alcohol in beer.

Conclusion

What’s the conclusion of all this information about calories in beer? If you don’t exercise regularly, are genetically predisposed to be large (have big bones), or are getting on in years, you need to watch how much you drink (how many beer calories you ingest) and what you eat while you drink and for the next day or so afterward.

Use common sense when drinking. If you drink in excess, you will have to reduce calorie intake for a while and exercise to negate the effects of the beer calories in the alcohol.

It all comes down to moderation and focus. Keep your intake of beer calories moderate and focus on negating the effects with exercise and proper eating habits to stay slim.

Calories, Carbs, and Alcohol in Your Favorite Beers

Have you ever asked yourself, “how many calories are in a Bud Light”? Or, what about regular Budweiser calories? Or how many calories are in a light beer, or how many calories are in a bottle of beer? (You’ll have to be a little more specific than that…)

So how many beer calories and beer carbohydrates are in your favorite beer anyway.

Here is a table which shows some of the major brands along with their beer calories per 12 oz. serving and associated beer carbohydrates when available. Keep in mind that breweries may change these numbers by altering various aspects of their recipes, but the numbers will be very close to those published.

Brewery Beer ABV% Cal. Carbs Amstel Light Amstel Light 3.5 95 5 Anchor Anchor Steam 4.9 152 Anchor Liberty Ale 6.0 188 Anchor Anchor Porter 5.6 205 Anchor Old Foghorn 8-10 Anchor Anchor Small 3.3 Anderson Valley Boont Amber 5.8 Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ 7.0 Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold 5.5 Anderson Valley Belk’s ESB 6.8 Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal 5.7 Anderson Valley Winter Solstice 6.9 Anderson Valley High Rollers Wheat 5.3 Anderson Valley Deep Enders Porter 5.5 Beamish Beamish Stout 3.8 131 Beck’s Beck’s 5.0 143 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Two Hearted Ale 7.0 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Amber Ale 5.5 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Pale Ale 5.0 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Stout 6.5 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Oberon 6.0 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Double Cream Stout 7.5 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Third Coast Old Ale 10.2 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Expedition Stout 10.0 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Best Brown Ale 5.8 Bell’s/Kalamazoo Cherry Stout 8.0 Blue Moon Blue Moon White 5.4 171 12.9 Breckenridge Avalanche Amber 5.4 Breckenridge Autumn Ale 6.7 Breckenridge Pale Ale 5.7 Breckenridge Christmas Ale 7.4 Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout 5.0 Breckenridge Pandora’s Bock 5.8 BridgePort IPA 5.5 BridgePort Porter 5.5 BridgePort ESB 6.1 BridgePort Black Strap Stout 6.0 BridgePort Blue Heron 4.9 BridgePort Pintail Ale 5.2 BridgePort Ebenezer Ale 6.4 BridgePort Old Knucklehead 8.9 Budweiser (U.S) Budweiser 5.0 143 10.6 Budweiser Bud Light 4.2 95 6.6 Budweiser Bud Ice 5.5 148 8.9 Budweiser Bud Ice Light 4.1 110 6.5 Budweiser Budvar Budvar 5.0 Busch Busch 4.6 133 10.2 Busch Light Busch Light 4.2 110 6.7 Busch Ice Busch Ice 5.9 173 13 Clausthaler Clausthaler 0.4 96 5.8 Colt 45 Colt 45 Malt Liquor 6.0 172 Coors Coors Original 5.0 148 11.3 Coors Coors Light 4.2 102 5.0 Coors Coors Extra Gold 5.0 147 10.7 Coors Coors NA <0.5 73 14.2 Corona Corona Light 4.5 109 5 Corona Corona Extra 4.6 148 Czechvar Czechvar 5.0 Deschutes Cascade Ale 4.5 140 Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale 5.3 175 Deschutes Bachelor ESB 5.0 180 Deschutes Black Butte Porter 5.2 185 Deschutes Quail Springs IPA 5.8 200 Deschutes Obsidian Stout 6.7 220 Deschutes Jubelale 6.7 Deschutes Broken Top Bock 7.0 233 Deschutes Pine Mountain Pils 5.1 154 Deschutes Cinder Cone Red 5.8 180 Dos Equis Dos Equis XX 4.8 145 Dragon Stout Dragon Stout 6.8 220 Edison Light Edison Light 4.0 109 6.5 Foster’s Foster’s Lager 5.1 156 Fuller’s Fuller’s ESB 5.9 Fuller’s Fuller’s London Pride 4.7 156 Genesee/High Falls Genesee 12 Horse 4.8 152 14 Genesee/High Falls Genny Light 3.6 96 5.5 Genesee/High Falls Kipling Light Lager 3.4 99 8.0 Grolsch Grolsch 5.0 156 Gordon Biersch Märzen 5.7 Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock 7.0 Gordon Biersch Pilsner 5.3 Guinness Guinness Draught 4.0 125 10 Guinness Foreign Extra Stout 7.5 176 14 Hamm’s Hamm’s 4.7 144 12.1 Hamm’s Hamm’s Light 4.1 110 7.3 Heineken Heineken 5.4 166 9.8 Heineken Heineken Light 3.5 99 6.8 Henry Weinhard’s Weinhard’s Amber Ale 5.3 169 14 Henry Weinhard’s Weinhard’s Dark 4.8 150 13.1 Henry Weinhard’s Weinhard’s Hefeweizen 4.9 128 9.2 Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve 4.5 128 9.2 Hoegaarden Hoegaarden 5.0 I.C. Light I.C. Light 4.2 95 2.8 Icehouse Icehouse 5.0 5.0 132 8.7 Icehouse Icehouse 5.5 5.5 149 9.8 J.W. Dundee Honey Brown 4.5 150 13.5 Keystone Keystone Light 4.2 100 5.0 Kilarney’s Kilarney’s Red Lager 5.0 197 22.8 Killian’s Killian’s 4.9 163 13.8 Labatt Labatt Blue 5.0 153 Lowenbräu Lowenbräu 5.2 160 Marin Brewing Mt. Tam Pale Ale 5.0 Marin Brewing Bluebeery Ale 5.0 Marin Brewing Albion Amber 5.0 Marin Brewing Marin Weiss 5.0 Marin Brewing Point Reyes Porter 6.0 Marin Brewing Breakout Stout 6.0 Marin Brewing Old Dipsea Barleywine 9.0 Marin Brewing India Pale Ale 6.0 McMenamins Hammerhead 5.8 McMenamins Terminator 6.4 McMenamins Ruby 4.1 McMenamins Black Rabbit Porter 5.5 McMenamins Dry Irish Stout 4.6 Michelob Michelob 5.0 155 13.3 Michelob Michelob Light 4.3 113 6.7 Michelob Michelob Amber Bock 5.2 166 15.0 Michelob Michelob Hefeweizen 5.0 152 11.8 Michelob Michelob Honey Lager 4.9 175 17.4 Michelob Michelob Black & Tan 5.0 168 15.8 Michelob Michelob Ultra 4.2 95 2.6 Mickey’s Mickey’s 5.6 157 11.2 Mickey’s Mickey’s Ice 5.9 165 11.8 Miller Miller Genuine Draft 5 143 13.1 Miller Miller Genuine Draft Lite 4.2 110 7 Miller Miller High Life 5.5 156 11 Miller Miller Lite 4.2 96 3.2 Moosehead Moosehead 5.0 153 Murphy’s Murphy’s Irish Red 5.0 171 Murphy’s Murphy’s Stout 4.0 150 O’Douls O’Douls 0.4 70 13.3 O’Douls O’Douls Amber 0.4 90 18 Odell’s 90 Shilling 5.3 Odell’s Easy Street Wheat 4.7 Odell’s Cutthroat Porter 4.5 Odell’s Cutthroat Pale Ale 5.1 Odell’s Levity 5.0 Odell’s Isolation 6.0 Odell’s Bobby 4.6 Olde English 800 Olde English 800 5.9 160 10.5 Olde English 800 Olde English 800 Ice 7.9 216 14.3 Old Milwaukee Old Milwaukee 5.0 156 Pabst Pabst 5.0 152 Paulaner Paulaner Original Munich 5.5 Paulaner Salvator 7.5 251 Paulaner Paulaner Hefe-Weizen 5.5 Pete’s Brewing Pete’s Wicked Ale 5.3 174 17.7 Pete’s Brewing Pete’s Oktoberfest 5.8 189 16.9 Pete’s Brewing Pete’s Summer Brew 4.7 163 15.6 Pete’s Brewing Pete’s Winter Brew 5.2 170 15.2 Pete’s Brewing Pete’s Helles Lager 5.0 163 14.6 Pete’s Brewing Pete’s Red Rush 5.3 170 14.8 Pete’s Brewing Pete’s Strawberry Blonde 5.0 160 13.6 Pilsner Urquell Pilsner Uruqell 4.3 160 Pittsburgh Brewing I.C. Light 4.1 95 2.8 Pittsburgh Brewing Iron City Lager 4.5 140 10 Pyramid Hefeweizen 5.2 Pyramid Coastline Pilsner 5.0 Pyramid Apricot Ale 5.1 Pyramid India Pale Ale 6.7 Pyramid Pale Ale 5.1 Pyramid Curve Ball Kölsch 4.8 Pyramid Broken Rake 6.4 Pyramid Tilted Kilt 6.3 Pyramid Snow Cap Ale 7.0 Red Dog Red Dog 5.0 147 14.1 Redhook Redhook ESB 5.8 179 14.2 Redhook Redhook IPA 6.5 188 12.7 Redhook Blonde Ale 5.4 166 13.1 Redhook Redhook Hefe-weizen 5.2 155 10.9 Redhook Redhook Nut Brown 5.6 181 16 Rhinebecker Rhinebecker 5 106 2.5 St. Pauli Girl St. Pauli Girl 4.9 148 St. Pauli Girl St. Pauli Girl Dark 4.8 150 St. Pauli Girl St. Pauli Girl N.A. <0.5 96 23 Sam Adams Sam Adams Light 4.05 124 9.7 Sam Adams Sam Adams Boston Lager 4.8 160 Sam Adams Sam Adams Golden Pilsner 4.6 145 Sam Adams Sam Adams Cream Stout 4.7 195 Sam Adams Sam Adams Boston Ale 4.9 160 Sam Adams Sam Adams Cherry Wheat 5.2 166 Sam Adams Sam Adams Spring Ale 5.2 170 Sam Adams Sam Adams Summer Ale 5.4 175 Sam Adams Sam Adams Pale Ale 5.3 145 Sam Adams Sam Adams Octoberfest 5.7 165 Sam Adams Sam Adams IPA 5.9 175 Sam Adams Sam Adams Winter Lager 5.8 190 Sam Adams Sam Adams Double Bock 8.5 240 Sam Adams Sam Adams Triple Bock 17.5 340 Sapporo Sapporo Reserve 5.2 Shiner Shiner Bock 4.4 143 12.5 Shiner Shiner Light 3.9 120 9 Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 5.7 171 14.1 Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada Porter 5.7 194 18.4 Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada Stout 6.4 225 22.3 Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada Wheat 4.7 153 13.1 Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada Summerfest 4.9 158 13.7 Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada Celebration 6.6 214 19.4 Sierra Nevada Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 9.9 330 30.3 Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale 7.2 Stone Brewing Stone Pale Ale 5.4 Stone Brewing Stone Smoked Porter 5.9 Stone Brewing Stone IPA 6.9 Stone Brewing Ruination IPA 7.7 Stone Brewing Double Bastard Ale 10 Stone Brewing Stone Old Guardian 9.9 Tsingtao Tsingtao 4.7 152 Widmer Widmer Hefeweizen 4.7 159 Widmer Widmer Pale Ale 5.0 Widmer Widmer Blonde Ale 4.3 Widmer Widmer Widberry 4.6 Widmer Widmer Sommerbrä 4.8 Widmer Widmer Oktoberfest 5.0 Widmer Widmer Winternacht 7.0 Widmer Spring Run IPA 6.0 Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale 4.9 Yuengling Premium 4.4 135-140 12 Yuengling Light 3.8 98 6.6 Yuengling Ale 5.0 145-150 10 Yuengling Porter 4.5 150-155 14 Yuengling Lager 4.4 135-140 12 Yuengling Black & Tan 4.5 150-155 14 Yuengling Light Lager 3.6 96 8.5

References:

References: 1.) Siler, S.Q., Neese, R.A., & Hellerstein, M.K. (1999). De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 928-936 2.) Valimaki, M.J., Harkonen, M., Eriksson, C.J., & Ylikahri, R.H. (1984). Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol. Alcohol, 1, 89-93 3.)

Beer from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 4.) Is there maltose in your beer? By Bob Skilnik 5.) Bamforth, C. W. (17 September–20, 2006). “Beer as liquid bread: Overlapping science.”. World Grains Summit 2006: Foods and Beverages. San Francisco, California, USA. 6.) “Non-alcoholic beer may help mice fight cancer”. Reuters. 2005-01-21. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6853732/. 7.) “Double benefit from alcohol-free beer”. Food Navigator. 2005-05-17. http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?id=52157-double-benefit-from. 8.) “Drink binges ’cause beer belly'”. BBC News. 28 November 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4048969.stm. Retrieved on 2006-11-06

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