The #1 Worst Alcoholic Drink for Abdominal Fat, says Dietitian
It's common for alcohol to get a bad rep, but we will give it the benefit of the doubt and say certain alcohols in moderation do come with health benefits. However, its benefits come with repercussions, such as raising HDL cholesterol, heart problems, acid reflux, and weight gain.
If you're watching your weight, there are certain kinds of alcohol and alcoholic drinks to stay away from. According to Julie Upton, M.S., R.D and member of our medical expert board, the worst alcoholic drink for abdominal fat is one that's calorie-dense and made with added sugars.
"Calorically dense alcoholic drinks would be the worst," says Upton. "One that is made with a lot of added sugars."
Consuming high amounts of sugar and high-fat products can cause excess weight gain, potentially leading to obesity, which negatively impacts your abdominal health. It's important to not overconsume too much of each, which is why you should consider cutting out these when possible.
Because there are many types of alcoholic beverages out there, we used MedicinePlus to help narrow it down to the top mixed alcohol drinks both high in calories and loaded with added sugars that could impact your abdominal fat. To find out the drinks, keep scrolling. For more on weight gain, check out Drinking Habits Secretly Increasing Your Abdominal Fat.
White Russian
A White Russian is a creamy drink made up of vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream. Vodka on its own isn't too high in calories, marking at 97 to 116 calories per 1.5-ounces. However, when added with 1.5-ounces of coffee liquor at 160 calories, plus a high-fat cream like half-and-half, calories will add up.
MedicinePlus says that one 8-ounce glass of a White Russian can total up to 568 calories.
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Piña Colada
When you think of a piña colada, chances are you think of a tropical vacation. This fruitful drink is made up of pineapple juice, coconut cream or milk, and rum, typically blended or shaken with ice, topped with some extra an pineapple slice or a cherry.
As delicious as this sounds, piña coladas are high in sugar from the fruit and juice and high in fat due to the coconut. This makes for a sugary, highly sweet drink that racks up 526 calories in only 6.8-ounces.
Chocolate Martini
What sounds like the perfect dessert drink turns out to be high in fat content. A classic chocolate martini can be made in a couple of different ways. It consists of alcohol like Baileys Irish Cream or vodka, chocolate liqueur, and chocolate syrup. Sometimes, it even uses a splash of cream, upping the fat content.
This rich and decadent drink at only 2.5-ounces adds up to a total of 418 calories and consists of loads of sugar from the chocolate. Chocolate liqueur can serve up to 15 grams of sugar in one serving, and Bailey's is also high in calories and saturated fat, making it another factor of this high-calorie drink.
Mai Tai
A Mai Tai has so many ingredients involved, combining a lot of high-calorie liquors plus juices loaded with sugar. In a Mai Tai drink, you need white rum, orange curacao, dark rum, lime juice, and orgeat syrup.
For a 4.9-ounce serving, the Mai Tai adds up to about 306 calories.
