How Many Calories In Gin
Gin is an alcoholic beverage that gets its distinctive flavor from juniper berries, making it a popular choice for cocktails. It’s often mixed with tonic water or enjoyed as a gin martini garnished with olives.
According to the USDA, one shot of gin has 97 calories. The calories in gin don’t provide any nutritional value, though. It’s easy to overlook them, but they do add to your energy intake for the day and may cause you to gain weight in the long run.
The calories in liquor are only part of the equation. Although gin doesn’t contain any sugar, many of the mixers are full of sugars and other artificial ingredients that increase the calorie count.
A gin and tonic cocktail is a popular choice among gin drinkers. The calories in tonic water can vary according to the brand, so check the nutrition labels for the exact number. Schweppes Tonic Water, for example, has 130 calories in one serving size, which is 12 ounces. Tonic water contains mineral water, sweetener , citric acid, preservatives and quinine.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, high doses of quinine are typically used to treat malaria, while small doses are used in beverages to give them a distinctive bitter flavor. Contrary to popular belief, this compound won’t prevent muscle cramps, but it does make a tasty mixer for gin.
Here are some popular gin cocktails and their calorie counts:
Is Gin Healthy To Drink
Made from juniper berries, a type of super fruit, gin serves as one of the healthiest spirits ever created. Its low in calories, and the botanical properties that survive the distillation process present plenty of health -boosting reasons gin is healthy .
Is Gin Bad For You
Low in calories, packed with antioxidants, gluten-free, often vegan friendly and usually teamed with tonic, you might be forgiven for thinking that gin is an entirely healthy drink. Of course, that’s not the case. Gin is a spirit and usually contains alcohol at anywhere between 37.5% ABV ad 57% ABV for Navy Strength styles. This means that as with any alcohol, you have to be careful about how much you drink. If you regularly drink too much alcohol, you risk causing long-term damage to your health.
As with other types of alcohol, there are recommended limits for the number of units you consume in a week. Men and women should aim to drink 14 or fewer units of alcohol a week. Ideally, these should be spread out over at least 3 days*.
You can calculate the units in any drink by multiplying the total volume of a drink in ml, with its ABV, and then dividing the figure by 1000. A mainstream brand such as Gordon’s will have an ABV of 37.5, so a 25ml measure contains just over 0.9 of a unit. This is usually rounded up to 1.
This compares to around 3 units in a large glass of wine. It’s easy to see how a nightly glass of wine or two can quickly take you over the healthy drinking guidelines. A 25ml measure of gin can help you relax at the end of the day, without threatening to take your drinking to unhealthy levels. So swapping that large glass of wine for a G& T might be a prudent move.
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How Many Calories In A Gin & Tonic
Gin and Tonic contains 200 calories for a 30ml pour of gin and 250ml of tonic water. But isnt tonic simply water, you say? Its a common misconception, but tonic water is actually a soft drink that contains sugar. Check out how much exercise you need to do to burn off the calories of other popular alcoholic drinks and that G& T.
A Word On Gin And Tonic
One shot of gin is about one unit and, according to the NHS, you should keep your alcohol intake below 14 units per week, spreading our drinking over at least three days in the week, with several alcohol-free days.
Life and wellness are all about moderation and balance. If you drink, do it sensibly, says Hobson. Stay within your units per week. In terms of G& Ts, that equates to seven doubles per week. Space them out, though, rather than saving them for a weekend binge.
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Gin And Tonic Calories
If you love cocktails, but find yourself asking “What’s the best alcohol to drink on a diet?”, you’ll want to know that gin and tonic calories are higher when used with regular tonic water. Tonic water calories differ slightly by brand. Generally, there are approximately 35 calories in 100 milliliters of tonic water , according to the USDA.
Regular tonic water isn’t the best choice because it contains either sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Diet tonic water, on the other hand, is a no-calorie sugar substitute. This means it will have zero calories. For example, a Walmart brand of diet tonic water uses aspartame, a common sweetener, instead of sugar or corn syrup.
A shot of gin, typically what’s in a single gin and tonic, delivers 97 calories. This equals 42 grams, or about 1 1/2 ounces. So if you’re mixing gin with diet tonic water, you’ll only get 97 calories. The same total goes for the calories in gin and soda water, or club soda, which has few or no calories.
Gin And Slimline Tonic Calories: How Many Does It Contain
Lets first take a look at the number of calories found in a regular tonic water.
There is, in actual fact, 124 calories in regular tonic water, making your gin and regular tonic around 200 calories. Yikes not feeling so smug compared to the glass of wine now!
Thankfully, you can reduce the calories in a gin and tonic, by switching to slimline.
The amazing news? There are actually 3 calories in a slimline tonic. Yes, you read that right 3!
So, gin and slimline tonic calories actually add up to about 62 calories! We can now all relax safely in the knowledge that a gin and slimline tonic is relatively guilt free!
A quick reminder here though that despite the low calories, drinking should still be kept to moderation.
But now we know that gin is relatively low calorie for an alcoholic drink, and it is infused with many different seeds, fruits, and berries we wonder, are there any health benefits to gin?
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Mostcommon Types Of Gin
Before we delve into the number of calories in gin, lets look into themost popular styles of gin. This alcoholic beverage has evolved greatly overthe years. Due to its diverse range in terms of profile, its arguably the mostcommonly used spirit in cocktails.
Here are some of the most popular gin styles:
How Many Calories Are In A Gin And Tonic
Lets get straight down to business and find out how many calories are in a G& T.
Just gin
Served with 150ml regular tonic
Single = 93 calories
Served with 150ml slimline tonic
Single = 64 calories
Double = 125 calories
And, before you start umming and ahhing over which of the UKs 361 distilleries to choose between , no, the difference in calories between gin producers is negligible says Hobson. Even between tonic waters, its not that significant.
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Get Into Hard Seltzers
Yes, the name ‘hard seltzer’ feels like quite an optimistic repositioning of ‘alcohol plus fizzy water’. But they’re among the lowest calorie alcoholic drinks you can find. White Claw, the taste sensation that swept the American nation a couple of years ago, clocks in at 95 calories per 330ml and the British-made High Water is 98 calories a can. That’s about the same as a single shot of vodka.
Dig deeper and you can find lower calorie counts: Two Days, for instance, is only 65 calories a can and Served’s cans are down to 57. Generally speaking it’s the amount of sugar which makes the difference here, though compared to beer they also pack fewer carbs.
Does White Claw actually taste nice? Debatable. Very, very debatable. Would you want to have five of them? Again, very, very debatable. But then again, one of the implicit benefits of switching to hard seltzers is the built-in portion control. By the end of an afternoon session in the pub, you could easily have put away a few litres of beer or cider. Hard seltzers slow you down a little more, and chunk things up into smaller units.
They’ve yet to catch on here in the way they have stateside, which might be down to our general suspicion of any alcohol colder than room temperature. But in a straight shoot-out, you’re not likely to find many lower calorie drinks around.
Increased Risk For Heart Disease And Stroke
Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of premature death in the United States. Heavy alcohol use is one of the most common causes of reversible hypertension , it accounts for a third of all cases of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, it is a frequent cause of atrial fibrillation, and it substantially increases the risk of stroke.
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Gin With A 12wbt Twist
The classic G& T can sometimes get a little dull. Want to spice things up? Try our Free Gin, Ginger & Lime Spritzer Cocktail recipe.
This cocktails is perfect for a special occasion just be careful to enjoy it in moderation and remember, there are STILL calories in this yummy cocktail . As always, we recommend drinking responsibly.
Will The Calories In Gin And Tonic Cause Me To Gain Weight
The main thing that makes you gain weight is consuming more calories than you burn. So if the calories in gin and tonic cause you to go into a calorie surplus, they will contribute to weight gain. In reality, however, the odd single gin and slimline tonic isnt going to make you fat. The issue comes when you have multiple double gins with standard tonic water.
But thats not the only thing to be aware of. Heres what else you need to watch out for: When people drink multiple alcoholic drinks they also tend to eat less healthy foods. These foods can also contribute to excess calorie consumption and weight gain. Alcohol consumption can reduce your sleep quality, which is associated with weight gain. Alcohol consumption can reduce your energy levels and make you less likely to exercise.
So, its not just the calories in gin and tonic that you need to be aware of. Its the other stuff you eat when youre drinking and how it affects your mood and behaviour.
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Drinking Gin Can Help People Lose Weight By Speeding Up Metabolism
London: Want to speed up your metabolism? Start drinking Gin, as a study finds that it enhances your body’s ability to burn calories for an hour after you finish your drink.
According to researchers from the University of Sigulda in Latvia, Gin is made from antioxidant-rich juniper berries, which is good for your metabolism and in fact, the mice who were fed regular doses of the spirit, saw a 17 percent increase in their metabolic rate.
The study, published in the journal Food & Nature, assessed how the alcoholic beverage affected calories in mice.Gin is one of the lowest-calorie spirits available, with just 97 calories per shot.
The findings suggest that it, tipple triggers an ‘after burn’ effects that enhances your body’s ability to burn calories for a whole hour after you finish your drink.
“Consumption of gin resulted in a marked increase in metabolic rate, which indicates the spirit may have a slimming effect on the body,” said lead study author Thisa Lye. This likely stems from the core ingredient: antioxidant-rich juniper berries.
These berries, common in Europe, are a natural diuretic and aid digestion, helping to ease bloating, Reports Mail Online. In natural medicine, juniper has also been used to ease inflammation in joints for people with arthritis.
It Can Help With Hay Fever
It might not be the most obvious hay fever remedy, but according to Asthma UK, switching to gin in the summer months could help to soothe your coughs and sneezes.
The theory is that drinks like beer and cider have a higher histamine content due to their fermentation process, often making hay fever symptoms worse. So opting for clear spirits like gin instead can, in a roundabout way, curb them. Okay, so its not a magic cure for hay fever, but every little helps
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Its The Best Drink For Diabetics
Research published in the Journal of Diabetes Nursing in 2008 looked into the safest drinks for people with type 1 diabetes to consume, and guess what? They found that gin and tonic came out on top.
Of course, you should always consult with a medical professional if you are diabetic and concerned about your alcohol consumption, but it might be handy to bring that little nugget along to your appointment, no?
How Many Calories Are There In Tonic Water
Although starting out as carbonated water, tonic water also contains quinine along with a sweetener of some kind. Whereas traditional tonic water may contain high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar or simply sugar, diet tonic waters make use of artificial sweeteners.
Comparing the traditional variety of tonic water with its respective diet version, the difference in calories included can be quite dramatic:
- Schweppes Tonic Water – 21 calories
- Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water – 2 calories
- Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water – 28 calories
- Fever-Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water – 15 calories
- Fentimans Premium Tonic Water – 29 calories
- Fentimans Naturally Light Tonic Water – 18 calories
Of course, there are those that wouldnt dream of changing their preferred accompaniment to gin, but to a less discerning palette, the calorie saving above is fairly self-evident.
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Practise Mindful Drinking And Drink Some Water
Why is it that were able to down pint after pint of beer over a short period of time, when the prospect of doing so with any other drink feels weird and slightly nauseating? Well, its because alcohol is a diuretic, and stronger booze can have a dehydrating effect on your body. Its not just FOMO keeping you out for one more drink and the promise of a weekend-ruining hangover its science, too. This is especially the case if youre drinking on an empty stomach, and alcohol takes a while to metabolise, so youre not feeling the full impact of your pint immediately.
But theres a solution. Mindful drinking is the practice of taking more time over your drink sipping and savouring the complexities of it, rather than chucking it down your throat in an unnecessary rush. Think of it as a much more enjoyable version of the raisin technique espoused by wellness practitioners the world over. Your attitude to drinking will soon change not just the amount of unit you get through in a night, but also your order at the bar. Youd be hard pressed to produce tasting notes on a pint of Fosters, so youll naturally gravitate towards drinks you genuinely enjoy. Its not always easy, and it takes discipline, but its worthwhile.
What Is Ginmade Of
Gin is a flavored alcoholic drink consistingof juniper berries, which gives the popular beverage its distinctive aromaticflavor, and other botanical ingredients. These botanicals may includecoriander, cardamom, citrus peels, and more. It encompasses a broad range ofspirits with different origins, styles, and flavor profiles.
In Europe, gin is recognized as ajuniper-dominated beverage with a base alcohol made from grains such as barley,wheat, and rye. The drink must also have at least 37.5% of pure alcohol in itstotal volume. By definition, its technically a juniper-flavored vodka. Thebotanical ingredients, as well as the way in which distillers combine theflavors with the vodka base, separate high-quality gin from the cheap kind.
Aside from its diverse flavor profile, onegood reason why you should drink gin is its low calorie count. Gin and tonic calories might be fewerthan in other alcoholic beverages, but they still have little to no nutritionalvalue. As a matter of fact, calories inalcohol have no significant contribution to your diet.
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How Many Calories Are In Neat Gin
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Considering this, can I drink gin while dieting?
Certain types of alcohol can fit into a low-carb diet when consumed in moderation. For instance, wine and light beer are both relatively low in carbs, with just 34 grams per serving. Meanwhile, pure forms of liquor like rum, whiskey, gin and vodka are all completely carb-free.
Similarly, what is the best alcohol for calories? The Best Choice You Can MakeThe best form of alcohol, from a calorie perspective, are the classic spirits. We’re talking about tequila, rum, vodka, whiskey, and gin. One ounce of any of those classic spirits contains around 64 calories, most of which come from the alcohol content.
Just so, what’s the lowest calorie gin?
- Tanqueray Old Tom Gin 98 calories
- Greenall’s Gin 96 calories
- Gordon’s Sloe Gin 83 calories
- Aviation Gin 70 calories
- Beefeater Gin 67 calories
- Tanqueray Gin 67 calories
Is Gin better for you than wine?
Gin also contains 97 calories per shot for comparison, the average glass of wine contains 160 calories and one pint of beer packs a whopping 208 calories. Because gin also only contains trace amounts of sugar, it’s a good option while watching your weight.