Yes, you can drink alcohol on the keto diet— but there's a catch (2024)

• Drinking alcohol won't stop ketosis, but it will impact it.
• Wine is more keto-friendly than beer because of the carb content.
• Drinking while on the keto diet can make your hangovers worse.
• Drinking alcohol might make it more difficult to resist non-keto temptations.

If you're following a ketogenic diet, you probably know that high-carb treats are off-limits. But can you drink alcohol while keto?

The short answer: yes. However, there are certain alcoholic drinks you might want to avoid if you're looking to stay in ketosis. Drinking while following a keto diet can also have some unexpected side effects.

Here's what you should know about drinking alcohol if you're keto.

First of all, you can drink alcohol and stay in ketosis. But there's a catch.

Though one glass of something strong won't knock your body out of ketosis, drinking alcohol while following a keto diet will affect your progress. Specifically, it will slow down your rate of ketosis.

"The liver can make ketones out of alcohol," Atkins nutritionist Colette Heimowitz toldElite Daily. "So technically, when you drink, you'll continue to produce ketones and [thus] will remain in ketosis."

However, your body treats ethanol (i.e. alcohol) as a toxin and will work to get rid of it ASAP.

"The liver will start to process alcohol as quickly as possible, which means it is used by the body before all other nutrients, including fat, so it slows the process of converting fatty acids to ketones," explains health and wellness practitioner Richard Purvis to Elite Daily.

Drinking alcohol won't erase all your progress, but it will impact ketosis.

Some alcoholic drinks are carbohydrate bombs, while others are relatively keto-friendly.

When it comes to staying in ketosis, not all alcoholic options are equal.

"The short version: wine is much lower in carbs than beer, so most people who eat keto choose wine. Pure spirits like whiskey and vodka contain zero carbs, but watch out for sweet drinks – they may contain massive amounts of sugar," advised Andreas Eenfeldt, MD, via Diet Doctor.

If you're looking to indulge in an alcohol beverage while sticking to a keto diet, opt for lower carb drink options and avoid over-the-top co*cktails.

Liquor with 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) or higher will typically have 0 grams net carbs, according to Ruled.me. The USDA reports that a serving of pinot noir has around four grams of carbs, and 1.5-ounce pour of whiskey in diet cola has less than one carb, according to Nutritionix. You can also swap out tonic for soda in mixed drinks for an extra reduction in net carbs.

Be prepared for worse hangovers if you drink while following a keto diet.

Eating a carb-heavy meal before drinking can keep you from getting drunk too quickly. By the same token, following a strict keto diet can lead to becoming intoxicated more quickly and suffering a worse hangover.

"When you've eaten a lot of carbs and your glycogen stores are filled, the rate at which you get drunk usually slows down," Dr. Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C. tells Men's Health.

However, skipping the carbs can have an adverse effect on your alcohol tolerance and ability to stave off a killer hangover.

"When you're in ketosis, alcohol hits your system faster and stronger than it did when your body was housing more carbohydrates. Your alcohol tolerance plummets to near zero when you're in ketosis," Dr. Anthony Gustin, D.C., M.S. wrote on Perfect Keto.

If you're thinking of throwing back a few shots while on a ketogenic diet, you should be prepared for a stronger hangover.

You should also consider whether alcohol reduces your ability to resist non-keto temptations.

You likely know that alcohol can lower your social inhibitions, but having a few glasses of wine might also make you less able to resist the siren call of late-night French fries.

"You'll be more likely to overeat unhealthy foods since your inhibitions are lowered. This can make your stomach seem like a bottomless pit, scrounging for more calories as soon as you finish your first drink," said Dr. Gustin on Perfect Keto.

If you know that having a few drinks gives you the munchies, you might want to opt for water to avoid caving to temptation.

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