Dr Dukan recently posted on the subject of alcohol on his UK website. He was explaining why he decided on an approach to alcohol and why he decided there was no reason to modify this advice for his UK followers.
Alcohol is highly calorific. Notwithstanding the social and health problems attributed to alcohol in the UK at the moment I think in fact people drink far less than they did in the past. For many years alcoholic drinks - mainly beer in the case of the UK - fulfilled two roles. The first was they provided the only safe drink as our early towns polluted their water supplies. Even before we understood sterility, the brewing process and the alcohol itself destroyed the microbes which brought water-borne disease to those communities.
The second great function was to provide calories. Beer can be viewed as liquid bread and the calories in it meant it was an essential element in an often inadequate diet. It is hardly surprising that governments quickly saw the potential and taxed and regulated this vital foodstuff!
As we have seen before it is only in recent times that we have had the luxury of diets which provide us with too many calories leading to the weight problems I and many others have struggled with.
Dr Dukan advises that when losing weight you should cut alcoholic drinks from your diet. Two reasons for this. First of all is the calories they provide. Although there is evidence that moderate consumption of certain drinks provides protection from heart disease, there is very little nutrition in alcohol or the drinks it is a part of.
The main nutritional element is calories, and calories which are readily available. Dr Dukan says they will become fat straight away. My first reaction to this was one of disbelief. I think you need to qualify it. If your calories from alcohol are not consumed straight away, they will quickly form fat because they are so easily extracted.
Certain foods do cause fat to be laid down more readily than others. Corn provides a form of fructose which is very popular with the food industry and sweetens many products; soft drinks, baked products etc. It is the same source of sugar which producers of foie gras noted years ago cause the fat to build up in the liver and create the fatty delicacy which is in effect the result of a liver disease. Doctors have noted the same effect in children's livers who consume excessive amounts of processed foods containing corn syrup.
I can therefore accept the possibility that the body will turn excess calories form alcohol more quickly to fat. There is another problem with alcohol and that is the effect of alcohol on our minds. Drink gets you drunk and when you are under the influence of alcohol your resolve weakens. You are more likely to eat things which are not part of your diet. Alcohol also effects your hydration.
So while you are in the weight loss phases of your diet, follow Dr Dukan's advice and don't drink alcohol. You can drink (sensibly) during the Consolidation phase and obviously when you get to the stabilisation phase. Remember that alcohol is a source of calories, the calories per gram of alcohol is about as high as any other food and the body can metabolise these calories easily. When you reestablish your regular eating habits, I hope you can enjoy a drink if that is your pleasure. Please remember that alcohol should be on the list of luxury, non-essential foods that you should treat yourself with. Do not overdo it!
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