AnnaFor at least 8,000 years, wine has been an important part of human civilization – and no wonder it combines so wonderfully with food and society. Wine is part of life for many people, whether as a small glass of wine with a meal or as the perfect complement to a quiet evening with a good book.
Drinking wine in moderation can also be great for the additional health benefits, which come primarily from the polyphenols, antioxidants, and resveratrol found in red wine and white wine.
But, can I drink wine on the keto diet? Should I abstain from wine completely while on the keto diet? Or am I still allowed to have a nice glass of Riesling with my friends on the weekend?
This article is going to take a look at drinking wine on the keto diet.
Alcohol and Ketosis
Before we ask if wine is allowed on a keto diet, we must first ask if alcohol in general is allowed on a keto diet! What are the effects of alcohol on ketosis?
Carbohydrates are hiding everywhere you look, especially at the bar.
Drinking alcohol can in principle deepen your ketosis, but at the same time it will slow down your weight loss.
Alcohol affects liver metabolism, which produces more ketones when you drink more. When your liver takes care of the alcohol, it is converted into a triglyceride, which can also positively influence the production of ketones.
You must be aware that during a ketogenic diet, when your body is in ketosis, you will get drunk much faster than you are used to. Even the hangover the next day can be stronger than usual.
While this can be a great thing for some (spend less money and get drunk faster), you should be careful to not consume too much alcohol – especially if you plan to drive after one or two beers (which is generally discouraged), as your “norm” can definitely be different.
Many people experience the hangover the next morning worse than usual, so always make sure you stay hydrated and drink enough water. The typical advice is to drink 1 glass of water per 1 glass of alcohol.
Can I Drink Wine on the Keto Diet?
So, can we drink wine on the keto diet? Depends on the wine!
You consume less than 50g of carbohydrates a day on a keto diet, so as long as you don’t have too many carbs or sugar that could kick you out of ketosis, you can enjoy wine on a keto diet!
In general, dry wines have the lowest sugar and carbohydrate content. They are typically harvested when the grapes are not fully ripe (and therefore have lower sugar content) and do not usually use the process of chaptalization (adding sugar to the fermentation process). These typically range from 2-5g net carbohydrates per glass.
Red wine also usually has the lowest carbohydrate content compared to white wine.
“Late harvest” wines typically have a very high carbohydrate content and should be avoided in a ketogenic diet.
Sweet dessert wines contain much more sugar, and should also be avoided.
There are many, many types of wine to choose from and since there is no standard for nutritional information and alcohol, you may consider choosing a generic branded wine or trying to research the nutritional information online to be sure your favorite wine is keto-friendly, or can easily be calculated in when counting macros.
Below are some of the most common wines and their general nutritional values:
White Wine
While most people emphasize the health benefits of red wine over white wine, there are some good reasons to drink white wine as well.
In general, white wine has a higher content of antioxidants and usually, you have less hangover due to a lower concentration of congeners (by-products of the fermentation process).
There are also studies from the Buffalo School of Medicine that have shown long-term white wine consumption to improve lung health.
Below you will find popular white wine varieties and their nutritional information:
| White Wine | Calories | Carbs | Alcohol % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkling Wine | 96 | 1.5g | 12 |
| Cava Brut | 128 | 2.5g | 12 |
| Champagne | 147 | 2.8g | 12 |
| Pinot Blanc | 119 | 2.8g | 12.5 |
| Pinto Grigio | 122 | 3g | 11.5 |
| Chardonnay | 123 | 3.1g | 12 |
| Albarino | 143 | 3.5g | 12 |
| Riesling | 128 | 5.5g | 11 |
Red Wine
Red wine is closely linked to the “French Paradox”, which refers to the observation that French people have a low rate of heart disease.
There may be some truth in this, as many studies have shown that moderate red wine consumption can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
However, it is important to note that excessive consumption increases the risk.
There are also studies that link red wine to the reduced risk of dementia, depression, and type 2 diabetes in women.
1-2 glasses of wine per day can definitely improve your health. But is red wine allowed with a ketogenic diet?
Below you will find popular red wine varieties and their nutritional information:
| Red Wine | Calories | Carbs | Alcohol % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinot Noir | 121 | 3.4g | 12-13 |
| Merlot | 122 | 3.7g | 12 |
| Cabernet | 122 | 3.8g | 11 |
| Syrah | 122 | 3.8g | 11 |
| Zinfandel | 129 | 4.2g | 11 |
Conclusion
Unless you have to follow the ketogenic diet for medical reasons to enjoy stable health, it should not be too much of a problem to have a glass of dry wine every now and then.
Wine contains much fewer carbohydrates than beer, so most people on ketogenic diets tend to choose wine over beer–however liquor usually has 0 carbs!
Stick to dry red wine and dry white wine. Dry wines have the lowest carbohydrates. These typically range from 2-5g net carbohydrates per glass, but no more than 1-2 glasses of wine should be consumed if you want to stay in ketosis.
Thanks for reading!
Anna
www.readyforketo.com
