Experts reveal the worrying effect just one glass of wine or beer per day can have on your body

Having a tipple every now and then is something many people do, but when it becomes a daily occurrence, that one beer or glass of red can really add up.

Whether you like red, white, or rosé, wine in moderation isn’t something people tend to think of as being unhealthy.

Especially when it comes to red wine being rich in antioxidants. However, that doesn’t mean it’s totally healthy, and the same can be said for beer.

While science has long debated the health benefits and risks of alcohol in general, it’s widely known to be something we should all limit, for fear of increasing our risk of things like heart disease, liver problems, and more.

But according to a recent study, the impact is a lot deeper than once thought.

The Oxford Biobank study found shocking results (Getty Stock Images)

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity, found that weekly alcohol consumption is linked to increased visceral fat mass (VFM).

Visceral fat is a type of body fat that is stored deep inside your abdomen and wrapped around several organs. It's normal to have some visceral fat but too much can pose a risk to your long-term health.

When it comes to VFM, this presents an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic issues.

The Oxford Biobank study analyzed 5,761 men and women between the ages of 25 and 75, who were asked about their alcohol consumption.

Once split into groups based on gender and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to calculate total fat mass and VFM, it whittled down the amount of people in the final sample as being 42.8 percent men and 57.2 percent women.

Visceral fat is stored deep inside your abdomen (Getty Stock Images)

When it came to the drinkers, the men reported drinking between one to four units per week to 17 to 98 units per week.

However, women reported between 10 to 50 units in any given week.

According to the VFM impact, in both sexes, those who drank more had more of this fat.

In men, the fat was 10.7 percent higher in those who drank the most alcohol, and for women, it was around 17.1 percent.

But it's important to note that the study didn't take into account diets, beverage type, or long-term outcomes.

It also noted that it was 'cross-sectional and relied on self-reported alcohol intake, it cannot establish causality'.

Alcohol consumption can increase your visceral fat (Getty Stock Images)

Although, it's well known that excess alcohol consumption could lead to some weight gain, which is where the term 'beer belly' came from.

However, what you may not have known is that having more visceral fat can cause the heart to age prematurely.

According to the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London, fat around the abdomen is bad news for heart health.

But shockingly, fat located in the hips and thighs of women could potentially be heart-healthy.

Research lead Professor Declan O’Regan, who is the British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular AI, said: “The goal of our research is to find ways to increase healthy lifespan. While being active is important, we found that hidden fat could still be harmful even in fit people. In the future we plan to investigate how drug therapies, such as GLP-1 inhibitors (e.g. Ozempic) could improve not just diabetes and obesity, but target the ageing effects of hidden visceral fat.”

If you've been affected by addiction and want to speak to someone in confidence, you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 324-0595, available 24/7, or contact them through their website.