Can You Drink Alcohol On Keto?
People on a keto diet know that they are not allowed to consume anything that is high in carbohydrates. If you’re wondering, “Does alcohol kick you out of ketosis?”
In order not to stretch things, the short answer to the question above is yes. While on a keto diet, a person can take in alcohol; however, the kinds of drinks that are allowed are low carb alcoholic drinks if one must remain in ketosis. Furthermore, there are certain side effects that come with drinking while observing the keto diet.
Read on to see which alcohol keto dieters are allowed to consume and what drinks qualify as keto alcoholic drinks.
The Keto Diet
A keto diet is a diet that is high in fat, adequate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. With this diet, the body is forced to burn fats quickly instead of carbohydrates. Once there are fewer carbohydrates to be broken down into glucose in the body, fats are then broken down into fatty acids and ketone bodies by the liver to replace glucose as a source of energy for the brain.
Low carb liquors such as mixed drinks do not pair well with keto; booze can also bring one out of ketosis, but the same can be said about some kinds of wine. Since human systems differ, even low-carb alcoholic beverages can stop your ketosis. Spirits, for instance, are alcohol keto dieters can take.
Carbs in vodka soda may or may not impact your keto diet. It is not necessarily the calories that cause the problem — the problem lies in the way the body metabolizes (breaks down) the carbs in alcohol. Depending on your tolerance levels, you could be able to combine alcohol and ketosis weight loss.
There are 7 calories contained in a single gram of alcohol, and this is why it is considered the fourth macronutrient. However, unlike proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, they are not needed for survival. However, keto friendly alcohol and low-carb diet may not jeopardize your ketosis.
If you drink keto friendly alcoholic drinks such as keto friendly beers and keto friendly vodka drinks, you won’t be slowing down the rate at which fats are supposed to be burned in your body while on ketosis.
Carbohydrates keep you from being tipsy. Bread, pasta, and pizza all contain glucose which the body burns quickly, thus slowing down the breakdown of alcohol and consequently reducing the alcohol levels of the blood.
On a keto diet, you are already consuming fewer carbohydrates – this means that whenever you take in alcohol, it metabolizes faster, and you get drunk quickly. What this means is that keto alcohol tolerance in your body is not something that should be lightly considered.
Therefore, you must observe your system and ensure that you don’t develop any alcohol tolerance problems for alcohol with even the lowest carb content. It is important that you trim down the number of drinks you take and even go to the extent of hiring a designated driver.
Be Aware Of Diminished Willpower
For you to maintain a keto diet, you need willpower and focus. Drink flags down your willpower and inhibitions. This can make you go for certain kinds of foods that your keto diet doesn’t permit – throwing you out of ketosis — because, at that time, you are most likely not in control.
The point of this information is not to make you cease alcohol consumption; it is just basically giving you something to think about whenever you feel the urge to grab another bottle after the first one.
Does Alcohol Affect Ketosis Positively?
Studies conducted on the effects of alcohol have shown that consuming alcohol usually makes the consumer eat food that is high in fat. When you consume alcohol while on a keto diet, it results in an eruption in the activity of ketones; consequently, the liver begins to process alcohol to produce energy rather than fats so that less fat is burned.
Keto Friendly Alcoholic Drinks
As is it with sweeteners, there are certain kinds of alcohol that are considered keto friendly alcoholic drinks, and they are generally low-carb liquor. This means that you may end up changing your drink choice since drinks such as beer usually have too many carbs, similar to certain wines.
Note the following keto alcohol list and see the options available for you:
- Whiskey
- Brandy
- Cognac
- Vodka
- Gin
- Dry red or white wine
- Tequila
- Extra dry champagne or sparkling wine
The best alcohol keto dieters should go for are spirits because they are low carb alcohol drinks. When you replace soda or juice with alternatives that are keto-friendly, you can still whip out a cocktail that is low in carbs.
Keto Friendly Wines
By this time, you should have an understanding of the science existing between keto and alcohol. That should tell you that hard liquor is best for persons on a keto diet. However, keto friendly wines exist, and you can enjoy them under the condition that you drink a moderate quantity.
It is our recommendation that you take a look at the label of any wine bottle and view the ingredients for the wine as it will help you make an informed decision. That said, the best kind of wine on keto diet is very dry white or red wine. This is because they contain less than or 1 sugar per oz. (the usual is 5 oz.).
White wines:
- Sauvignon blanc (0.6g carbs per oz.)
- Pinot blanc (0.57g carbs per oz.)
- Italian pinot grigio (0.6g carbs per oz.)
- Chardonnay (0.6g carbs per oz.)
Red wines:
- Carbernet sauvignon (0.75g carbs per ounce)
- Pinot noir (0.68g carbs per oz.)
- Merlot (0.74g carbs per oz.)
Keto Friendly Beer
Since they usually contain barley, yeast, hops, and water, there are hardly any keto friendly beers. However, if you can’t do without it, there are a few options for you. There are some light beers that have low carbs, and as such, they are considered keto diet alcoholic drinks.
Hard liquor (best alcohol for keto)
Most clear liquors that contain 40% alcohol, such as vodka, scotch, gin, whiskey, brandy, tequila, and rum, have no carbs or sugars content on their own, which means they are alcohol keto dieters can consume – in moderate quantities.
There are no carbs in tequila, no carbs in gin, no carbs in vodka, and no carbs in whiskey. Alcohol for keto dieters may include low-carb rum.
Note: It is when you mix them with other things that a problem tends to arise. Spirits remain keto diet alcoholic drinks even when mixed with water, but when they are mixed with tonic water, soda, or juice, they are no longer low-carb alcoholic drinks.
If you don’t want plain tequila, you can mix it with bitters. Each half-spoon of bitters usually contains 2g of carbs, and you don’t need more than that to make a cocktail. Another option besides bitters is diet soda with no artificial sweeteners.
Conclusion
A requirement for keto diet or ketosis is the consumption of food or drinks that are rich in fat, adequate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. Generally, alcohol contains carbs and sugars; however, there are certain alcoholic beverages that are low-carb alcohol drinks. I hope this article was helpful to you. If you want to replenish your bar with interesting drinks, do not pass by our best alcohol reviews. Enjoy yourself now!
FAQs
Does alcohol turn into sugar?
Alcohol does not turn into sugar. When you consume alcohol, the alcohol is converted into some in-between substances (none of them is sugar) before it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide.
Is alcohol keto?
There are certain kinds of alcohol that are permissible for you if you are on a keto diet. Such kinds of alcohol include rum, brandy, tequila, and vodka.
What alcohol is keto-friendly?
Spirits are a keto friendly alcohol. Other choices that are equally good include; keto gin drinks, brandy, tequila, cognac, vodka, and dry white or red wine.
How long does alcohol stop at fat burning?
Too much alcohol is dangerous to your body cells, and this is why the liver prioritizes burning off the alcohol, which means that it will not pay attention to the fats in your body until detoxification is complete.
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