Let’s get this out of the way right away: too much alcohol in any form is bad for your health. After all, alcohol itself contains virtually zero health benefits. Drinking it excessively over time can result in liver damage and other insidious side effects include risk of cancer, osteoporosis, infertility, weight gain, depression, prolonged slurred speech, pancreatitis and heart disease. Whether you are drinking low alcohol beer, high alcohol spirits or the most sophisticated French wines, overdoing it can wreak havoc on your body over time.
This does not mean that all alcoholic drinks are equal, of course. A light, low-calorie beer is likely to be better for you than its better-tasting craft version, which contains 450 calories. And if you’re a fan of heavy stuff, know that sipping your pure rum in a small glass will invariably not be as bad for your body as drinking the same amount of rum mixed in a classic Hemingway-style daiquiri that comes loaded with a high dose of simple syrup. (A single ounce of syrupy slime contains more than five teaspoons of added sugar. As we have reported in the past, many added sugars will result in more belly fat, increase your blood pressure, affect your brain function, cause your skin to sag and double the risk of dying from heart disease.)
It all begs the question: is there the worst kind of alcohol that you should definitely avoid? And, if so, what is it? According to at least one registered nutritionist, there is a clear answer. “Mixed drinks are much more problematic,” says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD, LDN, a nutritionist who works with NFL Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. “They have more alcohol, mixers increase calories, and with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans just released, we know that the new guidelines are one drink per day for women and two for men. Many mixed drinks contain the equivalent to five doses of alcohol, which is equivalent to five doses. “
Bonci highlights three specific drinks that you should avoid, all of which, she says, are actively competing for the “worst alcoholic beverage” distinction, which depends entirely on how they are prepared and in what size: Piña Coladas, margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas.
“A Piña Colada has more than 650 calories, which is more than 576 for a Big Mac,” reports Gizmodo. According to most recipes, Piña Colada contains a combination of rum, coconut milk, coconut cream, pineapple juice and lemon juice. In other words, they are loaded with sugar. Overall, as we reported in the past, the typical Piña Colada garden variety contains about 40 grams of sugar in a single 240 ml serving, which is why it is at the top of our list of the Worst Cocktails on the Planet. To make matters worse, this coconut cream comes with a good deal of saturated fat.
A 240 ml serving of margarita comes with an astonishing 274 calories and 36.1 grams of sugar. But, as you probably know, margaritas are not the same everywhere, and it is not uncommon for people to exceed 240 ml when drinking them. The British Medical Journal he once ranked America’s worst drinks and highlighted Red Lobster’s “traditional Lobsterite” as a particularly bad actor. The researchers noted that the 24-ounce mammoth cocktail recorded 890 calories and 183 grams of carbohydrates – the equivalent of eating Seven Almond Joy chocolate bars. “Of all the blatant drinks we analyzed, Lobsterita was the one that surprised us most,” wrote the researchers and noted that simply “reducing to a margarita with regular ice” will save 640 calories.
A Long Island Iced Tea, in turn, contains vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, sweet and sour mixture, lemon juice, simple syrup and cola. “A single LIIT can have a whopping 780 calories,” writes Gizmodo. “Plus, all that alcohol at once hits your system like a freight train. Plus, the only thing that dilutes this drink just adds more sugar.”
If you’re turning a new page in the New Year, consider taking a closer look at your favorite drinks and definitely put any variation of these three cocktails in the rear view mirror. And for more bad drinks you should avoid, see below why we’ve compiled some of the worst ones right here. And for more advice on how to drink alcohol responsibly, make sure you know the most dangerous age for drinking alcohol, according to experts.
Like many frozen margaritas and Piña Coladas, landslides are loaded with added sugar. “TGI Friday’s Ultimate Mudslide contains vodka, Baileys, Kahlua, cream and ice cream and packs an incredible 740 calories, 26 grams of fat and 86 grams of sugar,” said Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, earlier Eat this, not that. “This is equivalent to almost four days of sugar in a drink, if you are following [the] American Heart Association guidelines. “
The average daiquiri contains about 40 grams of sugar, the same amount you would find in four Krispy Kreme glazed donuts.
Sour whiskey is another popular cocktail that tends to be loaded with added sugar.
Did you start making cocktails at home during quarantine? Long live it! But avoid using ginger beer as a mixer. It’s loaded with sugar – you’d do better with plain ginger ale.
Spiced eggnog is a holiday classic, but it is far from a healthy food. Milk, cream and eggs are a rich drink, but they are also a cocktail with enough calories to compete with a meal. It is no wonder that eggnog is one of our 40 drinks that you should never drink after 40.