The reason that alcohol doesn't increase weight is unclear, but research suggests that alcohol energy is not efficiently used. 2 Alcohol also appears to increase metabolic rate significantly, thus causing more calories to be burned rather than stored in the body as fat. 3 Other research has found consumption of sugar to decrease as consumption of alcohol increases. Whatever the reasons, the consumption of alcohol is not associated with weight gain and is often associated with weight loss in women. The medical evidence of this is based on a large number of studies of thousands of people around the world.
Alcohol beverages contain no fat, no cholesterol, and very little sodium.
Of course, the nutritional value of different beverages varies. The moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with better health and longer life than is either abstaining from alcohol or abusing alcohol. However, the health benefits of drinking are associated with moderation. On the other hand, heavy drinking is associated with cirrhosis of the liver, breast cancer, and other health problems. The key word is moderation.