There are numerous pieces of evidence indicating that moderate alcohol intake has a protective effect on metabolic diseases:
Our previous studies revealed that long-term low-dose alcohol intake resists high-fat diet (HFD) induced obesity. A process in which white adipose tissue can be stimulated and turned into heat-producing brown adipose tissue named white adipose browning is associated with energy expenditure and weight loss. In this study we aimed to investigate whether alcohol causes the browning of white adipose tissue and whether the browning of white adipose tissue is involved in the resistance to the occurrence of obesity caused by long-term low-dose alcohol intake. After eight months of alcohol feeding, the body weight of mice had no significant change, but the fat content and lipid deposition in the liver were reduced. Morphological observations revealed that the browning of white adipose tissue occurred.
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Moderate alcohol drinking mice had faster lipid metabolism and slower lipid anabolism. In addition, we found that long-term low-dose alcohol intake prevented the increase of body weight, triglycerides, inflammation and energy expenditure decrease induced by HFD. Moderate alcohol consumption increased the expression of UCP1 and glucose uptake in the adipose tissue of the HFD group. In conclusion, our results show for the first time that alcohol can trigger the browning of white adipose tissue to counteract obesity.
Of course, you liver turns to scar tissue and you get a fat belly that mKes you look pregnant, but other than that…….
Moderate consumption means not guzzling a dozen beers at a time. A single beer after work won’t give you a gut.