Can wine help you lose weight?

The results of a new study are suggesting drinking alcohol could contribute to a healthy diet and even aid weight loss.

Researchers have found a moderate intake of wine could protect against weight gain and also put drinkers at a lower risk of developing diabetes.

These new findings are a total contradiction to the results of previous studies and theories, that alcohol can make people put on weight.

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Writing in the journal Nutrition Reviews, the authors acknowledged it was possible for alcohol to cause weight gain because of its high calorific content; approximately one gram of alcohol has 7.1 calories.

However, when the researchers conducted an analysis of previous studies, they found the results to be “contradictory” and said they did not “conclusively confirm” a link between alcohol and weight gain.

“Light-to-moderate alcohol intake, especially wine intake, may be more likely to protect against weight gain, whereas consumption of spirits has been positively associated with weight gain,” the researchers noted.

However, they did point out – “the type of alcoholic beverage might play an important role in modifying the effect of alcohol consumption on weight gain,” and added more research into the effects of different types of alcohol on weight needed to be carried out.

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