Drinking alcohol is supposed to be fun – as long as you don’t get addicted to it. It helps bring a bit of joy into your otherwise hectic life. But hey, did you know that some alcohol types can have potential health benefits, too? For example, red wine. Studies show that red wine is rich in polyphenols that support heart health and level up good cholesterol in the blood.
On the contrary, there is a myriad of alcoholic drinks that can be bad for you. Curious to know what these unhealthy drinks are? Continue reading this post to find out!
Beer
Beer is known to be a heavy alcohol choice that can be bad for you if consumed excessively. Even though drinking it in moderation can provide you with potassium and vitamin B, increasing its intake can eliminate all its potential benefits. Research shows that drinking too much beer can contribute to bad carbs in your body, increasing the risk of obesity, alcoholism, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Reportedly, heavy drinkers of beer have had suffered from a heart stroke, high blood pressure, colon, and breast cancer.
Pina Coladas
Pina Coladas are sweet fruity cocktails made from light rum. The alcoholic drink also contains pineapples and coconut milk or coconut cream. Even though Pina Coladas give your hot summers a tropical feel, they are unhealthy nonetheless.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news; Pina Coladas are filled with tons of fat, sugar, and calories that can prove to be ugly for your health. It’s been reported that a single glass of Pina Colada can have more calories than a Big Mac!
Margarita
This Mexican cocktail gets its tanginess with a touch of sweet flavor from the combination of tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur.
Whether you make it at home or order it at a bar, the margarita is loaded with sodium, increasing the risk of diabetes. The drink becomes unhealthier when mixed with multiple sweet liquors along with tequila or triple sec. It is believed that the result could supply your body with 850 calories!
Mai Tai
This quintessential cocktail may seem like a perfect summer drink, prepared from rum, curacao, lime juice, and orgeat syrup. But as it turns out, the Mai Tai is one of the unhealthiest alcohol choices you can ever make.
The tropic drink contains a great quantity of rum, which, as it is reported, has about 100 calories in one fluid ounce. Also, orgeat syrup is laden with sugar, increasing the number of calories in the seemingly harmless drink!
Daiquiri
The main ingredients of the daiquiri are rum, sugar, citrus juice, and other artificial sweeteners. As you can see, this drink is made from high-calorie products, making it one of the unhealthiest alcohol choices out there.
Often, the daiquiri is served in huge goblets at bars and parties, packing in hundreds of calories at once. Generally, a glass of daiquiri can have about 186 calories. When served with a fruit – strawberry or raspberry, the cocktail supplies about 220 calories!
Long Island Iced Tea
This alcoholic drink is usually made from vodka, gin, tequila, light rum, or triple sec with a soda splash. Apart from these liquors, the iced tea cocktail is loaded with flavors that make it taste quite sweet.
Long Island Iced Tea is notorious for being a high-calorie drink, so if you are on a well-balanced diet, you would want to steer clear of this alcoholic drink. One of the world’s most fattening drinks, long island iced tea packs about 780 calories!
Cognac
Cognac is a popular type of brandy that is produced by distilling white wines two times. For being a barrel-aged spirit, cognac is known to be one of the most expensive alcoholic drinks. Even though cognac tastes divine and may seem worth every penny, it isn’t really so for health-conscious people. Did you know that cognac crams about 105 calories per 1.5 ounce shot? This means it has almost 45 more calories than its cousin whiskey! As long as you consume cognac in moderation, you are safe. Drinking cognac excessively can be dangerous for your health.
White Russian
The White Russian is a classic cocktail containing three main ingredients vodka, cream, and coffee liqueur, and is served with ice in old-fashioned glasses. While The White Russian tastes yum, it is one of the least healthy alcoholic drinks.
It is chockfull of high-calorie ingredients that can set you back at 590 calories! Containing excessive amounts of sugar and saturated fat, the White Russian is shockingly bad for you. It is reported that drinking one glass of the White Russian is similar to eating a value meal at McDonald’s.
These top 8 unhealthiest alcohol choices should never be on your drinking list if you are diet-conscious, fitness-freak, or aiming to lose weight. Having said that, consuming these drinks in small quantities won’t cause any drastic weight gain or put your health at risk, so be mindful about the level of intake of these sugary or calorie-based drinks.
