While different types of alcoholic beverages have different nutritional information, much of what is in alcohol and the effects it has on the body are the same. Alcohol is generally very high in calories per volume. For instance, a twelve-ounce can or glass of beer typically has 150 calories, unless you opt for the light version, which weighs in at about 110 calories. But there is no carbonation in beer, so people tend to consume a few of them at a time instead of just one as you would a carbonated beverage like a soft drink.

Wine contains slight amounts of phytochemicals, which work as antioxidants in your body and can help fight off disease. The key however, is to only drink in moderation, as the negative effects of drinking too much alcohol overweigh the antioxidant properties of only having a glass of wine a day.

The nutritional makeup of alcohol is virtually nutrient void. It is full of sugar content and calories and offers very little in the way of nutrients that your body needs. In addition, although it is high in calories, it is not filling, so people tend to eat more when they are drinking because they do not feel full from the alcohol, even though they are consuming a lot of carbohydrates and sugar. Alcohol also acts as inhabitations with food, and we tend to overeat excessively after we have been consuming alcohol. People often tend to make poor food choices when they do not have the discretion of their normal eating plans and therefore not only consume more calories, but make unhealthy food choices as well.

In moderation, alcohol can have some good health benefits such as antioxidants, but only in small quantities. Anything over the recommended daily allowance of a serving equivalent to one 12-ounce beer or 6-ounce glass of wine, is not giving you any additional nutrition.