If only alcohol had magical weight-loss powers. Unfortunately, it's more likely to interfere with weight loss than aid it. This is your digestive system on booze.

The short answer? No, drinking doesn’t “flush out” excess calories from your system. So why is weight loss a common symptom of alcoholism and alcohol abuse?

Let’s find out.

Here’s What Happens to Your Metabolism When You Drink

Metabolism is a process that allows your body to break down and absorb the calories your body needs for energy, growth, and repair, as well as critical nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals.

Alcohol doesn’t contain any nutrients. But do you know what it does contain? Empty calories. That’s why a night of drinking can sometimes leave you feeling full. What’s more, your body has no way of storing alcohol. As a result, when booze enters your system, your body tries to get rid of it ASAP.

It’s absorbed in the stomach and small intestines. But consuming large quantities of alcohol over time — a.k.a. abusing alcohol — can damage the intestinal tract. As a result, the body has a harder time absorbing and using nutrients from the food you eat, and digestion can slow down or stop altogether.

This can lead to symptoms such as loss of appetite and constipation. When binge drinking becomes a habit, it can make a person eat less in the long-term and as a result, they may lose weight.

But this is far from healthy weight loss. Not only are you likely to absorb less-than-adequate amounts of the nutrients and calories your body needs, you may be putting yourself at risk of serious health conditions — including glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, jaundice, anemia, extreme fatigue, and cirrhosis of the liver.

Obviously, weight loss isn’t the only weight-related symptom of alcohol abuse — drunk food, anyone? Some people have a tendency to overeat when they drink. Others eat foods they wouldn’t normally eat. In both cases, chronic drinking can lead to weight gain or yo-yoing.

To Sum It Up

The long answer? It's still no. Booze doesn’t flush out calories. And if drinking is your weight loss plan, it’s time to look into rehab.

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