How does the body process the calories in alcoholic beverages?
April 14, 2009 Answer: Fats, carbohydrates or protein added to alcohol are processed in the body just as they are when delivered in foods. But alcohol itself is unique in that it cannot be converted to blood sugar, but instead must be processed as a fat in order to be used for energy. Alcohol entering the body is immediately processed for energy because there is no place in the body to store it. This is what initiates that strange but sometimes desirable feeling: if your body can’t convert it to energy as fast as you consume it, alcohol remains in the blood, including the in brain fluids, until it is metabolized. With no storage depot, the body must preferentially choose alcohol as its energy source in order to dispose of the chemical before it reaches toxic levels. Once in the body, the seven calories per gram of alcohol are used for energy needs instead of stored body fat. So in essence, every calorie of alcohol taken in prevents a calorie of fat from being burned. But that’s only pa
