There’s an interesting study out recently that suggests women may be able to gain less or maintain their weight if they drink, compared to those who don’t.  The study looked at 19, 220 women over 39 years old, over 13 years.  60 percent of those women drank “lightly,” or “moderately,” while 40 percent said they did not drink.  All were “normal” weight, according to their BMI, at the start of the study.

The conclusion, as reported in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine: “Compared with nondrinkers, initially normal-weight women who consumed a light to moderate amount of alcohol gained less weight and had a lower risk of becoming overweight and/or obese during 12.9 years of follow-up.”  Non-drinking women in the study gained more weight over the course of the study.  It was conducted by researchers at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and at Harvard.

Now don’t rush to the liquor store and pick up the latest weight loss magic liquid!  You need to remember that the women in the study were “normal weight” at the beginning of the study.  Also, the study didn’t say they lost weight, only maintained it and this report is only women; men don’t seem to have the same metabolic affect with alcohol.

We already know that red wine consumption in moderate amounts can help with heart and vascular disease.  The ingredient in red wine and in grapes – resveratrol —  is to thank.   That’s what the study attributes the results to.

Still, wine and alcohol have lots and lots of calories.  Drinking in excess can certainly cause one to gain weight.  So be careful!

There’s an article in the New York Times by Tara Parker-Pope about it that may also be of interest to you. 

I’m interested in you:  do you drink?  Have you found that drinking maintains your weight, or causes you to gain?  Please tell us in a comment post.