The best red wines for weight loss are Merlot, Malbec, and Sangiovese, as they’re high in resveratrol, melatonin, and polyphenols that burn belly fat, control appetite, increase energy expenditure, and improve insulin sensitivity. Drink a glass of red wine a day at lunch.
Which wine has the fewest calories?
A glass of wine has 125 calories. About 87% of them come from alcohol. Actually, a serving of wine (5 oz) has about 1 gram of sugars and 15 grams of alcohol.[1]
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. It contains more calories per gram than carbs and protein! Carbs and protein contain only 4 calories per gram. Thus, you should avoid drinking beverages with a high alcohol content if you want to lose weight.
Moreover, you should avoid drinking wine with extra sugar. Sweet dessert wines have about 235 calories per 5 oz. Almost twice the calories of red wine!
Certainly, drinking too much wine can make you gain weight.
A glass of wine a day can help you lose weight
According to many studies, drinking a glass of wine, as part of a hypocaloric diet, is beneficial for weight loss. Above all, we should limit our calorie intake from wine to 10% of the total energy intake.[2]
It seems that moderate red wine consumption can control energy intake. It helps us consume fewer calories! Alcohol influences a number of hormones that regulate satiety, such as leptin.[3,4]
Moreover, red wine seems to have a prebiotic effect. Polyphenols in red wine can positively modulate gut microbiota and increase their diversity, helping deal with obesity and other metabolic diseases.[5,6]
Furthermore, red wine is rich in chromium. This trace element reduces cravings for fattening food and promotes weight loss!
According to a study among 19,220 women which last for almost 13 years, those who consumed a light amount of alcohol had a lower risk of becoming overweight or obese, as compared to nondrinkers.[7]
Another study among 15,920 women also, showed that light or moderate drinkers are less likely to gain weight over time.[8]
Resveratrol in red wine promotes weight loss
Also, wine is a good dietary source of resveratrol. Resveratrol is a polyphenol with potent antioxidant properties. High doses of resveratrol significantly decrease body weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), fat mass, and waist circumference. Also, resveratrol significantly increases lean body mass![8,9]
In fact, grapes enhance weight loss, due to their high resveratrol content. Other common foods rich in resveratrol are berries and peanuts.
Furthermore, resveratrol controls blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity. Obesity is strongly associated with the development of insulin resistance and higher levels of blood sugar, which may lead to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.[10,11]
Moreover, resveratrol may increase metabolism and decrease fat mass! Resveratrol plays a key role in the transform of white adipose tissue (fat) to brown adipose tissue, which significantly increases energy expenditure, regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. Garlic promotes weight loss, as it activates brown adipose tissue as well.[12,13]
Also, resveratrol in red wine might help you sleep better at night. A bad night’s sleep has been strongly linked to obesity. Actually, a glass of wine at dinner may help you sleep better at night.
But, only red wine is high in resveratrol, containing up to 1.97 mg of resveratrol per liter. White and rosé wines have significantly lower concentrations of resveratrol.
Wines high in melatonin are best for weight loss
Moreover, certain red wines are excellent natural sources of melatonin. Merlot, Malbec, and Sangiovese cultivars are particularly high in melatonin. In fact, Merlot wine is the richest beverage in melatonin!
Melatonin enhances weight loss, as it seems to regulate glucose levels and appetite. Also, it may lower LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides in obese people.
Red wine controls blood sugar & insulin
Furthermore, moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, due to improved insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.[14,15]
Besides alcohol, red wine is rich in polyphenols, which also contribute to decreased insulin resistance. In fact, red wine is considered the best alcoholic beverage for protecting your heart.[16]
We shouldn’t drink more than 1–2 glasses of wine a day, though. Too much alcohol has negative effects on glucose and insulin levels.
Obesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance, and higher blood sugar levels.
A glass of red wine a day for a lean body
Actually, a low dose of alcohol can increase testosterone levels.[17]
On the other hand, heavy alcohol consumption results in reduced testosterone levels.[18]
High testosterone levels are associated with a lower fat percentage in the body and increased lean mass!
What’s the best time of the day to drink wine for weight loss?
The best time of the day to drink a glass of red wine for weight loss is at lunch. Avoid drinking wine right before bed. Although resveratrol in red wine supports a good night’s sleep, alcohol in wine causes regular night awakenings, due to snoring or apnea.
