Women can heave a sigh of relief, as a new study has brought the fact into light that drinking alcohol after a day's tiring work does not make them fat. The new study contradicts the dietary advice that women tend to gain extra weight if they consume hard drinks.

To add to the surprise, researchers also shared that women tend to gain weight if they stick to mineral water as compared to those who drink wine. About 19,000 women were surveyed and it was found out that drinking in a modest way also involves lesser risk of becoming a corpulent.

The women aged 39 or older with a healthy body weight were asked to share their drinking habits in a small questionnaire. Out of them 39% did not consume alcohol. A follow up of the women surveyed was conducted for next 13 years, and it was found out that teetotalers had gained more weight as compared to women who consumed alcohol.

A calorie from alcohol has less effect on weight than a calorie from other eatables, beer and spirits.

The Sunday Times reported that as far as the regular drinkers are concerned, their lever develops a separate metabolic pathway to break down alcohol and the extra energy is turned into heat and not fat.