Beer, carbs, alcohol and glycaemic index

Different types of alcohol have different effects on the body, depending on their alcohol and carbohydrate content. Beer seems to be one of the worst types of alcoholic drinks you can have, as it contains a high amount of high GI carbohydrates, in addition to alcohol. Because of this combination of the extremely high glycemic index carbs (GI=110) and alcohol (and quiet often the fattening, greasy, salty food that goes together with it), drinking beer is a recipe for belly fat and cellulite.

Why exactly is beer so fattening?

The glycaemic index describes the speed at which a food raises blood glucose levels (i.e. blood sugar levels) and, as a consequence, blood insulin levels. High glycemic index foods raise blood sugar levels very quickly and lead to an abrupt raise of blood insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone secreted by your pancreas to stimulate the absorption of nutrients (fat, glucose, aminoacids) by your cells, including your stomach fat cells and cellulite fat cells. In addition, alcohol raises the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is another fattening hormone, especially in combination with insulin. Cortisol is also a catabolic hormone, meaning that it leads to the loss of protein from tissues, thereby weakening your skin, connective tissue and blood vessels, thereby causing skin looseness and fluid retention.

As we described in the "What is celulite exactly?" page, cellulite is primarily superficial fat, lack of firmness and water retention - and alcohol, especially beer, causes all three of them!

Does that mean I have to quit beer altogether?

Well, why not? Wine is a much better alternative, especially red wine that contains antioxidants such as resveratrol, which to some extent balance the negative effects of the alcohol it contains - as long as you don't consume more than two small glasses (125ml) at any one day, and you don't make it a habit to drink those 1~2 glasses every single day.

Otherwise, if you love beer so much, make sure you don't drink excessively, don't have fattening food with it, choose a light beer (i.e. one with less alcohol and/or less carbohydrate content) and try to burn the calories the same evening - not the day after, when it will all be too late. Needless to say that beer with fish and chips is not a good idea, if you care about the smoothness of your thighs and stomach, neither eating a kebab at 3am after 6 pints of beer...

For personalised information about cellulite...

...you may consider the Lipo Consultation. And if you have already consumed too much beer and need to reduce your cellulite, LipoTherapeia and the Lipo Actives may be of help!