Does gin and tonic help if you want to lose weight? Research offers hope
Yes, finally: sunny temperatures this weekend! And then the stress immediately sets in for some people. That hellish bikini body still needs to be cultivated, preferably fairly quickly. No worries, according to website Happy In Shape, you lose weight if you drink gin and tonic. That sounds too good to be true…
The bitter taste of gin and tonic suppresses feelings of hunger, according to scientists from the University of Leuven. ‘At first, the bitter taste boosts the hunger hormone,’ says Professor Inge Depoortere, ‘but afterwards the substance affects the contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, causing the stomach to empty more slowly. The result: your stomach stays full.’ A satisfied feeling for longer, no appetite and eating less: there go the kilos. Could it get any better?
Metabolism and gin
The fact-checkers at Nu.nl looked into it. They also cite another study, conducted with mice. The laboratory animals that were given gin to drink lost weight. The conclusion of that study: gin stimulates the metabolism, and that makes you lose weight.
Mouse loses weight, now it’s your turn
Unfortunately, the fact-checkers’ conclusion is that the latter study is complete nonsense, an April Fool’s joke. The study in Leuven was conducted only once, which is insufficient grounds for such far-reaching conclusions. Moreover, no humans were tested in Leuven either, but mice, so the results probably cannot be translated directly to pub-goers.
Six-pack
Astrid Postma-Smeets, a nutrition and health expert affiliated with the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, once again warns: don’t drink gin and tonic if you want to lose weight; there are better methods for getting a six-pack . Unfortunately…
Also read:
- Someone with firsthand experience explains: why you should NEVER do a juice cleanse
- Diet failed? The supermarket gets the blame
- 18 dogs that love food more than anything else
Source: Nu.nl
