As the New Year approaches, it’s hard to resist back-to-back drinks. However, not all alcoholic beverages have the same impact on abdominal fat, as a scientific study reveals.
After Christmas, it’s time for the New Year. The opportunity to dress up and start 2026 with a nice hangover. Because yes, it must be admitted, alcohol consumption is much more excessive during the end-of-year holidays. But when you want to lose weight, giving in to temptation can very quickly be accompanied by a feeling of guilt… So, what drinks to favor if you want to toast without favoring abdominal fat ? A study published in the journal Obesity Science & Practice answered the question.
This alcohol to avoid so as not to gain abdominal fat
It’s not a myth,
beer really makes the stomach swell. And this is why it is better to leave it aside at New Year’s Eve. According to researchers, this type of alcohol can lead to a greater accumulation of visceral fat, that is to say the fat which is stored deep, around organs such as the liver, pancreas or intestines. The latter disrupts the normal functioning of organs and promotes inflammation in the body. Result: it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and other health disorders.
We forget the beer. But according to the study, which analyzed data from the British database UK Biobank on 1,869 adults aged 40 to 79 (alcohol consumption, diet, lifestyle and body composition), the alcohol you can drink without guilt would be red wine. Indeed, unlike beer or other strong alcohols, red wine has no significant effect on abdominal fat.
Alcohol to favor in weight loss
The researchers explain that this would be due to the presence of polyphenolscompounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These substances could play a role in regulating fat storage and limiting their accumulation around internal organs. So it’s better to treat yourself with a good red wine than with a beer… And if you like
white winethe latter is neither good nor bad: no increase or decrease in abdominal fat has been observed in its consumers.
According to an article published by The Conversationthe total amount of alcohol ingested is not the most problematic factor when wanting to lose weight. In reality, it is mainly the type of alcohol that plays a role in the appearance of abdominal fat. So you know what you have left to drink. And no beer, please! Please note, however, that weight gain and the accumulation of abdominal fat are not only linked to alcohol: diet, physical activity, quality of sleep, age and genetic predispositions must also be taken into account.