How Wine Can Help You With Your Weight Loss
Can you drink a glass of wine before bedtime if you’re on a diet? Actually, wine for weight loss can be a smart option.
If you are struggling to shed the extra pounds, it’s the right time you should switch from a late night snack to a glass of wine near bedtime.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Medicine has shown that drinking a glass of red wine as a nighttime nosh can help in weight loss. Doesn’t that sound amazing?
By providing you with a relatively low-calorie indulgence, drinking wine in small amounts at night will help you shed the extra pounds that subject you to chronic illnesses like common types of arthritis and symptoms of high blood pressure.
Wine Caloric Content
It is very easy to determine the number of calories in a glass of wine.
All you should know is the amount of wine you are taking and its alcohol content, which is commonly measured as a percentage.
Once you obtain the two figures, multiply them together and then multiply by 1.6 so that you can obtain the wine’s caloric content.
For instance, if you take a 5-oz glass of red wine with an alcohol content of 12%, your equation should be 12 x 5 x 1.6. Such a wine serving will contain 96 calories.
However, this only reflects calorie count for the alcohol in the wine, and flavorings or added sugars in the beverage come with additional calories.
The majority of red wines on the market usually contain between 80 to 120 calories for every 5-oz serving.
Wine For Weight Loss
If you want to shed the extra pounds successfully, your body should burn more calories than you consume every day.
By simply grabbing a glass of wine near bedtime, your body will be better equipped with what it takes to burn calories.
Whenever you consume wine, your body releases certain enzymes to digest alcohol. It is during the production of enzymes and digesting of alcohol that calories are burned.
Nevertheless, these processes don’t have a significant impact when it comes to weight loss.
Swapping Calories
Whereas studies have not yet shown a direct connection between drinking wine and weight loss, adopting this nightly ritual can indirectly help in shedding the extra pounds.
Substituting wine for high-calorie beverages, such as milkshakes, sodas, and mixed drinks will give your body an opportunity to take in fewer calories per day.
If your goal is to lose weight, drinking a glass of wine containing 100 calories is a better idea than taking any other beverage containing 500 calories.
However, if taking wine boosts your appetite and the urge to overindulge in unhealthy food choices, such as cheese or chocolate, your goal to shed the extra pounds can suffer a major blow.
Health Benefits Of Wine
With many studies suggesting that weight loss could help ease symptoms associated with symptoms of high blood pressure, red wine may not contribute significantly, but it also comes with other health benefits for your body.
For instance, drinking 5 oz. of red wine every day can help to increase the amount of healthy HDL cholesterol in your body, which can help in preventing symptoms of high blood pressure.
Also, red wine is loaded with flavonoids and resveratrol compounds that act as antioxidants to prevent clogging of blood vessels.
For the sake of a healthy heart and improved circulation, you should not exceed the recommended daily amount of wine.
Men can take up to 2 glasses of 5 oz. wine, while women should stick to just one glass.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is the main ingredient that is found in wine that helps in weight loss.
In a study that was published in the International Journal of Obesity, mice that were given resveratrol gained 40% less weight than their counterparts, which were not given the compound.
Ming Du, a professor at Washington State University, who also led the research, said people struggling to lose weight should consume plenty of strawberries, blueberries, grapes, raspberries and apples, which are loaded with resveratrol. These are the same ingredients that are used in wine preparations.
A glass of wine near bedtime is worth trying if your goal is to shed the extra pounds.
However, it should be a couple with other weight loss strategies like a healthy diet and regular exercise for better results.
It’s important to note that in any weight loss plan, your body should burn more calories than you consume every day.