Can I Drink Alcohol on Ketogenic Diet? Is alcohol suitable for keto? Ketogenic diets are high in fat and very low in carbs. The daily carbohydrate consumption should be kept to 50 grammes, or less than two bananas, in order to enter ketosis. Alcohol use concerns keto dieters since alcohol can be rich in calories and/or carbs. Learn more about beverages with less carbs and the impact of alcohol on ketosis by continuing to read.
Key takeaways:
- Under ketogenic diets, daily carbohydrate consumption must be less than 50 grammes in order to enter ketosis. Due to its high calorie and carbohydrate content, alcohol may interfere with ketosis.
- If you consume spirits and liqueurs without any sugar-filled mixers like tonic water, fruit juices, or carbonated drinks, they contain no carbs.
- In comparison to other beers and wines, certain light and dry wines and light beers have a reduced carbohydrate content.
- Cocktails have a lot of booze and sugar. They need to be a ketogenic dieter’s very last resort.
What is ketogenic diet?
Extremely low carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high fat make up the ketogenic diet. The diet drastically limits daily carbohydrate consumption to less than 50 grammes. The body breaks down lipids when it doesn’t have enough carbs. Fatty acids are converted by the liver into ketones, which are then released into the blood.
A rise in blood levels of ketone substances, such as acetone, β-hydroxybutyrate, and acetoacetate, is the outcome of a ketogenic diet known as nutritional ketosis. In the absence of glucose, the heart, muscles, kidneys, and other tissues use ketones for energy.
Can I drink alcohol on a ketogenic diet?
Among the liver’s many essential jobs are blood glucose regulation and alcohol metabolism. The liver, however, gives alcohol detoxification top priority. Alcohol use therefore inhibits the liver’s ability to produce glucose, which may lead to hypoglycemia and low blood sugar.
People on a ketogenic diet have been admitted to hospitals for hypoglycemia. After ingesting alcohol, a 69-year-old lady who had been on a ketogenic diet for a year was taken to the hospital. The patient’s findings revealed low insulin, low beta-hydroxybutyrate (a ketone body), and hypoglycemia. When following a ketogenic diet, alcohol consumption may have a variety of effects on your metabolism. You ought to know that:
- Alcohol may worsen hypoglycemia. People on a ketogenic diet generally have lower blood glucose levels. In addition, while your liver metabolizes alcohol, glucose production is suppressed in the liver, which can even lower blood glucose levels.
- Most people who follow a ketogenic diet aim to lose or maintain weight. Although low-carb alcohol may not break your ketosis, alcohol is high in calories and suppresses fat oxidation.
- There is a lack of studies showing the effects of nutritional ketosis on alcohol metabolism and tolerance.
Drinking alcohol may prevent ketogenesis. Try selecting drinks with less alcohol and less calories and carbs if you’d want to drink alcohol. Now let’s examine the calories and carbohydrate composition of booze.
Beer
Beer is made from fermented barley. Alcohol content, carbohydrates, and calories vary from beer to beer. Beers usually contain 4% to 12% alcohol. However, regular beers contain more carbohydrates compared to light and low-carb beers.
| Alcohol | Approx. carbohydrate content per can (360 g) | Approx. calories per can (360 g) |
| Higher alcohol beer | 1 g | 209 kcal |
| Low-carb beer | 3 g | 97 kcal |
| Light beer | 6 g | 104 kcal |
| Regular beer | 13 g | 155 kcal |
| Sweetened alcoholic malt beverage | 37 g | 245 kcal |
Wine
Wines contain approximately 12 to 24 % alcohol, and their taste, color, and smell vary broadly based on grapes and the winemaking process. Light and dry wines have lower carbohydrates compared to other wines.
| Alcohol | Approx. carbohydrate content per glass (180 g) | Approx. calories per glass (180 g) |
| Wine spritzer (wine and club soda or seltzer water) | 3 g | 88 kcal |
| Light wine | 3 g | 88 kcal |
| Wine (white, rose, and red) | 5–7 g | 150 kcal |
| Rice wine (sake) | 9 g | 241 kcal |
| Dessert wine | 14 g per glass (105 g) | 168 kcal per glass (105 g) |
Spirits and liqueurs
Spirits and liqueurs do not contain carbohydrates without the addition of common mixers such as cola, fruit juices, sweeteners, energy drinks, tonics, and lemonade. Despite their no carbohydrate content, spirits and liqueurs are higher in alcohol.
| Alcohol | Approx. carbohydrate content per shot (42 g) | Approx. calories per shot (42 g) |
| Rum, Whiskey, Gin, Vodka | none | 97 kcal |
Cocktails
Cocktails should be the last choice for someone trying to restrict carbohydrates. Cocktails are a mix of spirits, liqueurs, and flavoring ingredients such as juices, carbonated drinks, and tonic water, which are high in sugar. Therefore, that’s why cocktails are high in carbohydrates and not keto-friendly.
| Alcohol | Approx. carbohydrate content per 100 g | Approx. calories per 100 g |
| Gin and tonic | 7 g | 84 kcal |
| Whiskey and cola | 8 g | 89 kcal |
| Vodka and energy drink | 8 g | 90 kcal |
| Vodka and lemonade | 9 g | 93 kcal |
| Rum cooler | 10 g | 68 kcal |
Sizes of shots and glasses may vary, which makes it challenging to control carbohydrate or calorie intake while drinking. For reference, US standard drink sizes are:
- 12 ounces of 5% alcohol beer
- 8 ounces of 7% alcohol malt liquor
- 5 ounces of 12% alcohol wine
- 1.5 ounces for 80-proof, 40% distilled spirits or liquor
Limits on alcohol consumption
Keep in mind that heavy alcohol consumption harms health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heavy drinking is defined as consuming eight or more alcoholic drinks for women and 15 or more alcoholic drinks for men per week. Excessive alcohol use can cause heart, liver, and other diseases such as cancer.
Consuming alcoholic beverages won’t necessarily hinder your ketogenic diet, but you do have to be more selective about what and how much you drink. Avoiding specific drinks and mixers will help your body stay in ketosis. Therefore, if you enjoy an alcoholic beverage occasionally, cheer up because a ketogenic diet doesn’t mean giving it up.
