Yes*
Kind of. Let us explain.
Before you raise a glass to your loved one this New Year, it’s important you understand what champagne (and alcohol, in general) does to your body through the Keto lens.
Here’s your speed-science lesson: You can have alcohol, but it can disrupt your Keto process and your Keto lifestyle.
When we ingest alcohol it’s technically a “toxin.” Your body can’t store it, so it has to break it down. This is know as metabolizing, and more than 90% of the metabolizing of alcohol is done by our favorite Keto organ, the liver. Since the liver has to work overtime to process all that booze, it can disrupt your fat-burning process and slow down ketone production.
Once you start drinking, alcohol begins to enter your bloodstream and go throughout your body. That booze makes its way to your brain where it starts interfering with the neurotransmitters that enable all the brain’s activities (that’s what makes you feel silly, forget stuff, fall over, and stimulates dopamine production.) This limited inhibition can lead to naughty snacking and more drinks.
A single 5 oz. serving of champagne has 96 calories and 1.5 net carbs, so not too bad. However, champagne also has a lower alcohol content, so you might have to drink more of the bubbly to feel tipsy, and those calories and carbs can add up fast.
More than calories, be aware of your drunkenness. Many people report the booze having a stronger effect when they're on Keto. A good rule of thumb early in your Keto journey is to assume each drink will hit you like two. Once you know how your body responds you can adjust that multiplier.
Champagne and other low carb wines can be a great choice. Champagne is uniquely low carb, while sweeter dessert wines can have up to 14.1 grams of carbs. But there is more than one type of champagne, and its sweetness/sugar content can range, and so can its carb content. In alcohol, residual sugars are any natural sugars that are leftover after fermentation ceases. Whatever sugars are left over contribute to the total carbohydrate in the beverage, varying from drink to drink.
Brut Nature: 0-3 grams of residual sugar
Extra Brut: 0-6 grams of residual sugar
Brut: 0-12 grams of residual sugar
Extra Dry: 12-17 grams of residual sugar
Dry: 17-32 grams of residual sugar
Demi-Sec: 32-50 grams of residual sugar
Doux: 50+ grams of residual sugar
Double check the label and know your favorites.
If champagne isn’t your style, clear liquors (think hard liquor: vodka, tequila, gin, etc.) at about 40% alcohol will likely be your best bet, these are considered “Keto alcohol.” They have no residual sugar, so no carbs.
With hard alcohol, be careful what you mix it with: no juices or anything too sweet. Club soda is a safe bet, just stay clear of tonic unless it’s diet tonic. Despite the bitter flavor, regular tonic has a ton of hidden sugar – up to 35 grams!
Champagne was made for celebrating, and if you've been on Keto for a while you've probably got a lot to celebrate. Choose a brut or dry champagne, drink responsibly, and celebrate.
