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Alcohol is the dreaded enemy of weight loss. While an occasional drink, no more than one per day for women, can actually be heart healthy, alcohol adds nothing but unneeded calories. But how many calories does a glass of wine or a beer add? Until recently consumers had no way of knowing the calorie counts of any alcoholic beverage. Now, thanks to the Consumer Federation of America you can know exactly how many calories are in the 26 top selling beverages.

Of those beverages 13 were beer or malt drinks, 8 spirits (vodka, rum, whiskey, etc.) and 5 brands of wine are the first to be labeled with caloric information. While drinking should always be in moderation, it is important for women attempting to lose weight to carefully consider where calories come from. Considering that alcohol has no nutritional value should steer many woman away from drinking altogether. However, as with all things, moderation and smart choices can provide both a healthy diet with the occasional treat. In this case a heart healthy treat.

The following results are taken from the top selling liquor brands and offer some interesting findings.

  –  Among spirits, calories per serving ranged from 86 calories for spiced rum to 120 calories for gin. The average (not including mixers) was 98 calories per serving;

  –  For wines, calories per serving ranged from 105 calories for a merlot to 125 calories for a cabernet sauvignon. The average was 118 calories per serving;

  –  The greatest variation in calories occurred among beers and flavored malt beverages. Light beers (5 brands) averaged 100 calories per serving, regular beers averaged 140 calories (5 brands) per serving, and the flavored malt beverages (3 brands) ranged from 190 calories per serving to 241 calories per serving;

   –  Variations were greatest when analyzing carbohydrate levels. Compared to no carbohydrates in spirits, wines ranged from 0.8 grams per serving for chardonnay to 5.0 grams per serving for cabernet sauvignon. Among different beers and malt beverages, carbohydratesranged from 3.2 grams per serving for light beer to 38 grams per serving for a flavored malt beverage. 

For further information please see the press release here: 

http://www.consumerfed.org/topics.cfm?section=Food and Agriculture&topic=Nutrition

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