Beer belly it grows gradually, just yesterday it seemed that everything was fine, but suddenly there comes a moment when you glance in the mirror and realize that you have grown a beer belly. First the questions arise: where did this beer belly come from and how to quickly get rid of it? The first thing that comes to mind is that you got a beer belly because of beer, and to get rid of it quickly, you need to stop drinking it. Both guesses are wrong. Why? Let's figure it out.

Marina Skvortsova.

It’s not beer that ruins you? It just so happens that the growth of the belly was first associated with beer. Like, the more beer you drink, the bigger your belly grows. Apparently, this was due to the fact that after pouring several liters of beer into themselves, men get a distended stomach, in which this beer dangles for some time, and because of this, the stomach increases. Extensive research has shown that men who drink more than 1 liter of beer per day actually grow their bellies, but at the same time, fat deposits on their arms and thighs also increase, i.e. they increase their body weight quite proportionately. And the calorie content of 100 grams of beer is about 50 kcal, which is approximately equal to the calorie content of beets and apples, approximately 2 times less calories bananas and yogurt. “Beer stimulates appetite and improves the digestibility of food, which means that if you drink beer with food, then it will be the cause of excess deposits. If in normal conditions you decide to abstain from chips, cheese, sausage, fried food, then these will be the main snacks to go with beer. Thanks to its properties, beer will help the fats that are abundantly present in these products to “settle” on the stomach and sides. Frequent consumption of beer will disrupt your own metabolism and cause changes in digestive processes, and this will also lead to the appearance of beer belly“- says the head of the sports medicine department of the Samara Regional Clinical Hospital named after. Kalinina Nadezhda Mishkina. - The deposition of the main fat reserves on the abdomen contributes hormonal background men. This is why beer belly is much more common in men.” In women, deposits occur mainly on the thighs. There may be exceptions, but they are related specifically to the hormonal system.

Risk factor.

Very often, the “beer belly” refers to abdominal obesity in men, that is, the deposition of fat in the abdominal area. And it’s scary not because it’s just a cosmetic defect, but because in this case, adipose tissue accumulates not under the skin, but directly in the abdominal cavity, around the internal organs. “And this entails the emergence of many dangerous diseases, including coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. As for beer, it is one of the causes of obesity. Very often people do not limit themselves to one bottle. So that the love for a foamy drink does not turn around extra pounds, consume it (as, indeed, any other alcoholic drink, even dry wine) should be used in moderation. Moreover, in addition to alcohol, which provides the body with a considerable amount of calories, beer also contains carbohydrates, and there is a high probability that they will be stored as fat,” says Nadezhda Mishkina.

Even if you began to eat half as much as before, this does not mean that you began to eat little enough. Nowadays, it's easy to find a food calorie table and calculate how much you consume per day, and then calculate how many calories per day you burn. You need to spend more than you consume!

Expert advice.

1. Don’t drink beer, and especially don’t eat it with chips, nuts, or croutons, especially at night, to avoid excess fluid in the body and severe swelling.

2. Motorists - walk. Park your car away from work, take a brisk walk in the evening, at least around your house, or jog in the park.

3. Try changing your food type. Eat small meals 5-6 times a day. This way you will reduce the volume of your stomach, and this is the first step towards losing weight.

4. Pump up your abs, squat, walk, raising your knees high, bend over, grabbing a dumbbell in the hand you are bending towards. This simple exercise will help keep your oblique abdominal muscles toned.

Three factors in the development of a beer belly:

Abuse of any alcohol;

Poor nutrition;

Insufficient physical activity.

Important!

Not only the intoxicating drink itself has a negative effect on the heart, but also additives that are often used to enhance taste qualities beer. For example, to preserve foam for a long time, cobalt compounds are included in beer, which lead to a sharp decrease in the contractile function of the heart muscle and an increase in heart volume. A beer belly is the first sign of organ dysfunction digestive tract. Moreover, the bitter substances of hops contain carcinogenic elements. And since it is customary to wash down fatty foods with beer, the occurrence of cancer, or at least gastritis, is guaranteed over time.

Opinion.

Nadezhda Mishkina, head of the sports medicine department of the Samara Regional Clinical Hospital named after. Kalinina:

Hormonal levels change, the reproductive organs undergo fatty changes, which leads to infertility and decreased libido. It’s a paradox, but despite the fact that each container is equipped with a corresponding warning label from doctors about the dangers of beer for health, the popularity of the intoxicating drink does not wane. It has long been proven that beer abuse is a direct road to impotence, as fatty degeneration of the glandular epithelium of the seminiferous tubules occurs.

The aromatic foamy drink is the object of worship of many people. And the army of beer fans is constantly growing. Khmelnoe is one of the most popular and favorite alcoholic drinks among Russians. Moreover, representatives of the fair sex are also not averse to tasting intoxicating drinks. But, unfortunately, among those who cannot imagine their life without foam, there are very few people who think about the consequences of their addiction.

Is foamy beer really harmful, what does its long-term and regular consumption lead to, why does beer make the belly grow in both men and women? Everyone has heard the expression “beer belly”; indeed, this syndrome has one feature - the area of ​​the peritoneum increases gradually and unnoticed by its owner. And everything seems to be normal and not beyond the bounds of decency, but then at one fine moment the reflection “pleases” with blurred forms. Do you need to quit beer immediately? Not so simple.

Beer acts only as a catalyst for problems caused by weight gain.

Medical luminaries have been trying to solve the riddle of the “beer belly” for quite some time. And their research was crowned with success. The ubiquitous Japanese were especially successful in this matter. They conducted an interesting study where they involved about 2,000 men aged 40–75 years. Scientists measured the waist of each participant and derived an average volume number.

According to statistics, in Russia the largest number of foam fans are in the age category of 25–45 years; on average, Russians drink 65.4 liters per capita per year.

It turned out that among men who are avid beer drinkers, the average waist size is about 85.4 cm. While among lovers of other types of alcohol (including teetotalers), these measurements are 3–4 mm larger. Scientists received unexpected findings that sharply contradicted established beliefs.

Following the Japanese, the experiment was repeated by representatives of Germany and Sweden. Pundits also wanted to find out whether foam disfigures the figure. Experimenters monitored the parameters of 12,000 women and 8,000 men for 9 years. The results confirmed the verdict of Japanese scientists - beer consumption did not affect the volume of the lower back and hips in representatives of both sexes.

According to the proven opinion of scientists, long-term consumption of foamy alcohol (as well as any other alcohol) does not affect body volume, in particular, excess fat is not deposited on the waist and hips.

Therefore, if someone asks whether it is true that beer makes your belly grow, you can give a negative answer with all confidence and responsibility. Fat is deposited not at all because of beer, but due to illiterate nutrition, a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle and heredity (in rare cases).

Causes of “beer belly”

So why is it so firmly believed among ordinary people that foam brings saggy sides and belly to its admirer? Doctors have found an explanation for this phenomenon. And it is necessary to understand this issue, because indeed, among those who like to while away the evening with aromatic intoxicating drinks, excess fat OK. There may be several reasons for this.

Stomach stretches

The explanation why beer stubbornly makes your belly grow may be based on calorie content of this drink. Perhaps the fact is that after drinking 2-3 liters of foamy beer (and beer is never drunk little by little), beer drinkers experience a distension of the stomach. After all, the organ is filled with drink and gradually (if beer is consumed daily in large quantities) remains in a distended state, which is why the abdomen visually enlarges.

One of the causes of beer belly is stomach distension.

Calorie content of foam

By the way, despite all the measurement calculations of the experimenters, it was established and precisely proven that long-term addiction to foam (in quantities of more than a liter per day) actually increased a person’s weight. True, it was deposited not only in the waist area, but also on the sides, buttocks, hips, back, that is, throughout the body and in proportion.

The calorie content of beer (100 g) is about 50 kcal. This amount is equal to apples, and in comparison with bananas and yogurt it is even 1.5–2 times less. But here we're talking about about a glass of foam, and who drinks beer in such tiny amount? For the vast majority of connoisseurs of evening beer relaxation, sometimes even 2 or even 3 liters of foam is far from the limit. And how many calories do such drinkers consume?

Considering only one beer, a beer holiday costs its fans 2,000–2,500 kcal. By the way, such a dose of energy is more than enough for an adult and strong man to last a whole day (subject to a sedentary lifestyle). This is the lifestyle that the vast majority of beer drinkers adhere to.

Illiterate diet

It is worth adding here the calorie content of the food consumed, not forgetting that beer itself is an excellent appetite stimulant (ethanol has an irritating effect on the gastric mucosa, causing the organ to produce gastric juice). This significantly increases the digestibility of consumed food and invites gluttony.

And when true lovers They drink beer every day with their meals; such a diet will quickly lead to a sagging belly and frightening folds of fat. What about snacks? All these chips, crackers, smoked sausages, fried sausages - these faithful companions of foam only “finish off” the slimness of the body and turn its owner into a fat man.

A high-calorie beer snack also contributes to an enlarged belly

Metabolic disorder

Doctors have found that beer, thanks to its additives, leads to extensive disruptions in the functioning of metabolic processes. After all, abundant and frequent beer libations overload the pancreas and stop the fat metabolism of the liver organ. This ultimately leads to persistent and sometimes irreversible metabolic disorders.

Beer and slim women

And what happens to our fair half of humanity? Do women’s bellies grow from beer or will we have to forget forever about this drink that is captivating for many ladies? Unlike men, women's fat deposits mostly accumulate in the thighs and buttocks. Therefore, it is impossible to meet a lady who meets the declared “beer belly”; she gets fat evenly.

If a woman experiences obesity in any one part of her body, she should have her hormones checked. The causes of such obesity are mainly hormonal imbalances.

It should be borne in mind that as we age, the body requires fewer and fewer calories to provide energy.. But the reason for this lies in the usual and natural decline physical activity, but not in problems with metabolism. And therefore, fat (and on the stomach as well) begins to grow by leaps and bounds. After all, the body, receiving the same usual amount of energy, spends much less of it.

Main conclusions

So, we can summarize the reasons for the formation of an untidy beer belly. Based on all that has been said, we deduce the six most likely causes of this syndrome:

1. Beer is a high-calorie drink. Moreover, calories are formed in it due to the excessive amount of foam drunk and the addition of high-calorie snacks that are habitual to intoxication. It should be remembered that ethanol (even in a small dose) irritates the walls of the stomach, which further provokes the development of appetite.
2. Distension of the stomach due to the huge amount of intoxicating drinks consumed daily. Mostly men are guilty of this.
3. The foam contains estrogen (a natural analogue of the female hormone). This supplement also increases body volume.
4. Beer is famous for its diuretic properties. With constant relaxation with such a drink, demineralization occurs in the body, which also harms harmony.
5. The intoxicating drink is made on the basis of yeast, these substances actively promote the growth of fat cells, which causes puffiness, sagging and fullness of the figure.
6. Due to the fact that people indulge in beer mainly in the evenings, when resting after a hard day, they also have to deal with swelling, which also does not add thinness to the body.

By the way, it will be useful for lovers of intoxicating drinks to know that least amount calories are found in non-alcoholic and light beer. But it is not recommended to get too carried away with dark species.

Is beer belly dangerous?

First of all, it is worth noting that such an abdomen is very unaesthetic and visually unpleasant. And problems with internal organs due to obesity have not been canceled. Weight gain due to beer can bring the following troubles to a beer drinker:

• increased chance of developing diabetes;
• dysfunction of cardio-vascular system;
• the appearance of persistent hypertension and subsequent heart problems.

But this is only a small part and not the worst that brings the owner a beer belly. What becomes much more dangerous is that fatty deposits in this case are not deposited directly in the peritoneum, but gradually accumulate along the walls of the organs. This situation becomes the culprit for the development of a number of dangerous pathologies (disruption of internal systems due to internal obesity of organs).

Beer promotes visceral fat gain

This fat (which is deposited on the walls of organs) is called “visceral.” Because of this, the beer drinker’s belly becomes firm and round over time. Moreover, it is impossible to pull him in. Visceral fat deposits constantly put pressure on internal organs, significantly damaging human health.

How to remove fat deposits

It’s worth noting right away that there is not yet a single diet aimed specifically at stabilizing the beer belly. There is no effective weight loss program that could rid a person of fat accumulation in a certain area of ​​the body.

To protect yourself from further weight gain, you should strictly limit, and ideally stop drinking beer altogether.

But visceral fat has one feature. It is these fat deposits that the body begins to use first in case of a lack of calories. Therefore, you should not just give up beer (or significantly reduce the amount you consume), but also add active physical activity to the weight loss process.

Once a person begins to lose weight, these fat deposits will be the first to disappear. After all, visceral fat deposits are much more active than others in terms of metabolism, so they begin to break down at an accelerated pace.

To protect yourself from an unsightly beer belly, nutritionists advise listening to a number of useful tips. Namely:

1. Do not consume beer in the evening.
2. Drink foam as little and as rarely as possible.
3. Avoid traditional beer snacks.
4. Incorporate physical activity into your life.
5. Adjust your own diet. It is necessary to switch to fractional and frequent meals(in small portions). Thus, you can reduce the size of your stomach and take the right path to normalizing body weight.

Lovers of aromatic foam should remember that beer (if it is not natural and “live”) is a very harmful product. In a store foam great amount all kinds of harmful additives(colors, preservatives, sweeteners, flavor enhancers and flavorings). Store-bought beer is no longer the same as what ancient brewers once brewed.

Particularly harmful are cobalt additives, which are included in beer composition to stabilize and improve foam. Such substances have an extremely detrimental effect on the functioning of the heart and lead to its obesity. By the way, the appearance of a beer belly is the first harbinger of such problems. And various carcinogens, which are also present in modern intoxicants, can cause oncology and gastritis in humans. There is something to think about!

Let's summarize

So, does beer make your belly bigger? It is difficult to name foam as the direct culprit for this problem. But this type of alcohol becomes a kind of catalyst for a number of problems that provoke active growth of fat (and not only in the peritoneal area). Avoiding this situation is quite simple and easy - you just need to not get too carried away with aromatic foam and devote more time to active sports. Then excess fat will not become a threat to a pleasant relaxation with a glass of foam.

Studies show that beer makes your belly grow, and the Internet praises the beer diet. Let's figure out how this drink actually affects weight loss.

The expression “beer belly” is familiar to us for a reason. According to statistics, more than half of the alcohol consumed in Russia is beer. Every year Russians buy 200 billion rubles worth of beer.

There are other statistics. It shows that beer prevents you from losing weight. We'll tell you why further.

Beer is not filling, but high in calories

One of the problems is that beer provides calories, but does not saturate the body. There are several reasons for this:

1. Beer is a source of empty calories because it contains virtually no nutrients.
2. Beer is a drink, which means that you won’t even notice how you drink half of it. daily value calories.
3. Beer contains alcohol, which can block the process of fat breakdown.

The main strategy for losing weight is to eat fewer calories than usual and stay full. This can be achieved by including dietary meat, fruits and vegetables in your diet.

After three beers (about 750 calories), you'll still be hungry and have plenty of room in your stomach for a hearty lunch. This is why drinking beer inhibits fat burning.

Read also:

Beer negatively affects sleep quality

After drinking a glass of beer with dinner, you will wake up several times during the night to go to the restroom. This has a bad effect on the quality of sleep and can result in slower weight loss and loss of muscle mass.

Thus, one study compared the weight loss results of two groups of people. The first slept 5.5 hours a day, and the second - 8.5. It turned out that half of the weight that people in the first group lost was muscle.

According to the results of another experiment, people deprived of healthy sleep almost doubled their appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods.

In addition, the benefits you get from training depend on the quality of your sleep. Good rest provides the body with the strength to perform intense sports.

How many calories are in beer

The calorie content of beer varies depending on the type and manufacturer. On average, beer contains 40–45 kcal per 100 ml, two-thirds of which comes from alcohol.

Beer makes you lose your temper

Alcohol makes you lose your sense of proportion. You say or do things that are out of character for you when sober because you have less control over yourself.

How does this relate to losing weight? Losing self-control, you can eat so much food that an entire week of hard training will go down the drain. In other words, beer increases the risk of overeating.

How to drink beer and lose weight?

The best strategy for losing weight among beer drinkers is to drink a limited number of glasses per week. For example, one every day or two on Friday and two on Saturday. Remember the main thing: the less beer you drink, the less empty calories you receive.

Once you achieve the desired weight loss results, you can ease up on the restrictions. But it’s better not to return to your old “beer” habits, otherwise the weight will quickly return.

If you are striving for the best results, then give up beer altogether.

Another way to combine beer drinking with weight loss is to coordinate your eating and drinking habits. For example, if you eat a burger and wash it down with a glass of beer, then skip the fries. In general, if you accompany a meal with beer, then reduce the portion and give preference to proteins and vegetables.

At first glance, the pattern is obvious: indeed, such bellies are mainly observed among lovers of the foamy drink. But in reality, beer belly occurs as a result of the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. This type of obesity is called abdominal obesity, and it is considered quite dangerous to health.
Beer itself is not very high in calories - 40-50 kilocalories per 100 grams. But the problem is that it is consumed, as a rule, in liters and together with a rather high-calorie snack - salted fish, chips, crackers, nuts, sausage, or even pizza.
Next, beer contains hops, which is the strongest phytoestrogen. This substance is close in nature to the female sex hormone - estrogen. As a result, a man who tends to consume several liters of drink a day begins to develop obesity of the “apple” type – the mammary glands grow and sag, fat is deposited in the hips and abdomen... For women, obesity of the “pear” type is more typical, in which excess weight is more evenly distributed throughout the body.
In addition, beer alcoholism stretches the stomach. In normal condition, our stomach can accommodate about 2.5 liters of food in one sitting, but if we constantly drink beer, snacking on fatty and salty foods, the volume of the stomach will increase. The brain begins to receive signals about the lack of a feeling of fullness, and the person eats more and more. Plus, any alcohol is an appetite stimulant and helps fatty foods be better digested. Therefore, beer contributes to the fact that we absorb a huge amount of calories. And they are not wasted anywhere, because after such a hearty meal, rarely does anyone want to move - usually we begin to feel sleepy.

To get rid of the so-called “beer belly,” you need to find out the reasons for its occurrence. Most often, such fat deposits in men are a consequence of regular use beer in excessive quantities. Many believe that this statement is a myth, because sometimes a large belly indicates the presence of a serious illness. Also, extra pounds arise due to an irresponsible attitude to your diet and a sedentary lifestyle. But for most men, excess weight and a beer belly actually appear due to an addiction to a foamy drink.

Causes of fat deposits

The most common cause of a beer belly is overindulgence. alcoholic drinks. 1 liter of beer contains 500 calories. Spicy and salty snacks eaten with foamy drink, are also high in calories. And the content of a large amount of salt in them provokes fluid retention in the body. As a result, the load on the kidneys and liver increases significantly, dysfunction of internal organs occurs, and the person’s stomach grows rapidly.

To the problem overweight leads to a passion not only for the foamy drink, but also for other alcohol. Consumption of ethanol in large quantities leads to hormonal imbalances, which can lead to extra pounds and the development of pathologies, including diseases of the stomach and cardiovascular system, infertility.

In more rare cases, the following factors contribute to the formation of fat deposits in the abdominal area in men:

1. 1. Genetic predisposition. If any of the person's immediate relatives (parents, grandparents) suffered overweight, then there is a high probability that a big belly is a hereditary phenomenon. It most often begins to appear in people between the ages of 35 and 40.
2. 2. Violation of metabolic processes. It can be triggered by a severe stressful situation, hormonal imbalance or lack of sleep.
3. 3. Lack of physical activity. With the consumption of food, the body receives a certain amount of energy, which must be consumed daily. If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, then excess calories are converted into fat.

Kit excess weight dangerous due to excessive formation of visceral fat, which small quantity Every person has it, regardless of body weight. It envelops the heart and stomach, liver, kidneys and lungs, performing nutritional and supportive functions.

When extra pounds appear, the volume of visceral fat increases significantly, and it begins to compress the internal organs. On the other hand, it puts pressure on the abdominal wall and the muscles underneath, which leads to the formation of a hard beer belly.

In addition, visceral fat is dangerous because it provokes metabolic disorders and varicose veins, and increases the risk of developing cancer pathologies, heart attacks, liver and kidney diseases.

Location of visceral fat

If there is a suspicion that beer belly is a consequence of a serious illness, then you need to consult a doctor who, based on the examination and test results, will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. But if the problem of excess weight arose against the background of alcohol abuse and a sedentary lifestyle, then you can cope with the extra pounds yourself at home.

How to get rid of beer belly

To get rid of belly fat, you first need to completely stop drinking any alcoholic beverages. Then you need to perform a set of the following measures:

1. 1. Cleanse the body. Should be drunk daily a large number of liquids. It will help quickly cleanse the body of toxic substances accumulated as a result of alcohol abuse. It is recommended to drink at least 2 glasses of water an hour before each meal. This will not only help cleanse the body of toxins, but also significantly reduce appetite.
2. 2. Review your diet. You should exclude from it various spicy and salty beer snacks (chips, nuts, crackers), sweets and baked goods, and fatty meats. It is important to eat food rich in vitamins. You need to give preference to food that will not cause you to gain extra pounds - dishes made from vegetables, grains and fish, and fruits.
3. 3. Replace passive rest with active rest. Instead of watching movies, festive feast With big amount food and gatherings with alcohol, you should choose a long walk in the fresh air or cycling.

In total, you need to drink at least 3 liters of liquid per day. In addition to water, you need to drink vitamin drinks – natural juices, fruit drinks, compotes, green tea. They will not only help cleanse the body, but also enrich it missing vitamins and useful microelements.

Meals should be fractional: you need to eat 4-5 times a day, in small portions. It is recommended to draw up daily menu with careful calorie counting and strictly adhere to the diet. It is absolutely forbidden to overeat. You need to give up frequent snacking and eat food at the same time every day. You cannot eat at night - the last meal should be taken no later than 18 hours. Sticking to proper nutrition, you can remove a large amount of fat deposits.

Physical exercise

In order to quickly get rid of a beer belly, in addition to the above actions, a man needs to perform the following physical exercises:

1. 1. Squats, push-ups and pull-ups - each at least 10-15 times. After a person gets used to such physical activity, it is necessary to complicate it - perform squats with dumbbells and increase the number of approaches.
2. 2. Exercises aimed at strengthening the abdominal muscles.
3. 3. Plank. To perform the exercise, you need to lie on your stomach and raise yourself on your hands. They should be bent at the elbows at a right angle. You need to keep your feet together, standing on your toes. You must hold this position for at least 30 seconds. It is necessary to perform 3-5 approaches with breaks of half a minute. When it becomes easier to perform the exercise, you need to complicate it: taking the starting position, pull your knee to your chest and hold it there for several seconds. Then change legs. Alternate knee pull-ups should be done for 2-3 minutes.
4. 4. Tilts and turns of the body to the sides. Crunches can be performed in a standing position. But the best effect can be achieved by performing such exercises while lying down (rising up and alternately touching your bent knees with your elbows).

The following will also be useful:

• swimming;
• a ride on the bicycle;
• tennis.

The duration of classes should be at least half an hour. Ideally, you need to devote time to physical activity at least 2 times a day for 25-30 minutes - in the morning and in the evening. It is advisable to carry out all activities in the fresh air. Increased physical activity will facilitate faster digestion of food entering the body, breakdown of accumulated fat, and increase muscle tone.

Important: drinking alcohol is prohibited during the entire period of the fight against excess weight. In order to achieve a positive result in the shortest possible time, it is necessary to take the above actions in combination. Diet alone without cleansing the body and physical activity will not bring the desired effect.

Getting rid of extra pounds is much more difficult than preventing them from gaining, so you should remember preventive measures: do not abuse alcohol, do not overeat and active image life.