Can sipping a glass of Chardonnay before dinner make you hungrier? Probably not, says Richard Mattes, a professor of nutrition at Purdue University and a noted appetite researcher. While some scientific studies have suggested a connection between alcohol and increased appetite, Mattes says the research is inconclusive, so there's no need to eliminate that cherished post-work cocktail just yet. Studies have also shown that moderate drinkers consume more calories but weigh no more than abstainers. In fact, in some studies they weighed less.

Bottom line: A cocktail before dinner is not going to kick your appetite into overdrive. And if you're watching your weight, it's not going to wipe out your calorie budget, either.