The Real Metabolic Impact of Alcohol Alcohol is not metabolised the same way as protein, carbohydrate, or fat. It provides approximately 7 calories per gram β€” but more importantly, it is treated by the body as a priority toxin to be cleared from the bloodstream before any other fuel source is metabolised. This prioritisation has a direct consequence for fat loss: while your liver is processing alcohol, it is not oxidising fat. Fat burning essentially pauses for the duration of alcohol metabolism. The duration of this pause depends on how much you drink. A rough rule: the liver clears approxi…