Alcohol Nutrition

Alcohol is a part of everything, from family dinners to parties, to sporting events and nightcaps. The problems associated with alcoholism are well known, but what about the impact of social drinking or a moderate intake of alcohol? Does alcohol belong in our diet, or does the risk that it presents outweigh any benefits that may be derived from consuming it?

Good nutrition can help to improve your health and prevent diseases. The nutrients that your body needs are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Some people feel that alcohol is another necessity in their diet, while others feel that any amount is toxic and needs to be avoided.

The key to determining whether you need alcohol is to understand what alcohol is and how it is processed in your body. Calories provide energy for our bodies to function. We get calories from carbohydrates, protein, fat, and alcohol. For each gram, you get a set number of calories.
Carbohydrates 4, Protein 4, Fat 9, Alcohol 7.

The vitamin, mineral, and water content add to the nutritional value for each of these energy sources but do not provide any calories. A food is considered to be a source of "empty calories" when there are no other nutrients present besides the nutrient that provide the calories. Alcohol is considered to be a source of empty calories because it provides only negligible amounts of vitamins and minerals. Due to the fact that alcohol often replaces nutrient-rich food and directly interferes with the body’s absorption, storage, and use of nutrients, it has also been called the "antinutrient nutrient."

Alcohol can also be classified as a drug. Under this category, it is the most widely used drug in the world. Approximately 10 to 15 million Americans are alcoholics or problem drinkers, and more than 100,000 deaths each year are attributed to alcohol consumption. The majority of the population consumes alcohol moderately or occasionally. The potential to become addicted to alcohol is a serious problem that warrants limitations on its consumption.

Alcohol, also known as ethanol, is made through a process called fermentation. During fermentation, yeast breaks sugar down into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process is done without any air present, and once complete, the carbon dioxide gas bubbles out into the air leaving ethanol and water behind. Distilled spirits, such as vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey, are fermented and then distilled to separate the ethanol from the water.

Various sources of sugar are used in these processes resulting in different forms of alcohol. The sugar from crushed grapes is used to make wine; malted barley is used to make beer; sugar cane or molasses makes rum; grain, potatoes, beets, molasses, and a variety of other plants are used to make vodka.

The technique used to make the beverage will determine the alcohol content. You will see the percentage of alcohol per volume listed on the bottle, as well as the proof of the drink. The proof of a beverage is twice the alcohol content, so a drink with 12% alcohol per volume is 24 proof. Generally, a 12-ounce glass of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor all contain a ½ ounce of pure alcohol and are considered one drink.



The nutrients protein, carbohydrates, and fat can be stored in our bodies, but alcohol cannot. For this reason, it takes priority over everything else in order to be metabolized; doing so means that all of the other processes that should be taking place are being interrupted. Other nutrients need to be broken up prior to being absorbed, whereas alcohol is absorbed as is.

The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase begins some of the metabolism of alcohol in the stomach. Women have less of this enzyme, so alcohol passes through their stomachs and into their bloodstream quicker than in men. Once alcohol is absorbed, it spreads rapidly into the body water spaces, so the smaller size and higher body fat content of women increase its levels. Women metabolize about 10% of the alcohol ingested, while men metabolize about 30%.

The liver is the primary site for alcohol metabolism. Alcohol is detoxified and removed from the blood through a process called oxidation. Oxidation prevents the alcohol from accumulating and destroying cells and organs. A healthy liver oxidizes pure ethanol at the rate of about ¼ to ? of an ounce per hour, which is less than 1 ounce of hard liquor. A small percent of the alcohol is excreted through the lungs and urine, which can be detected in breathalyzers. While being metabolized, alcohol is distributed throughout the body, affecting the brain and other tissues. Within minutes of being ingested, alcohol reaches the brain and initially gives the temporary impression of being a stimulant. Alcohol goes on to act as a depressant and a sedative, producing a sense of calm. It will also act as an anesthetic and hypnotic.

When you drink alcohol, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) will rise rapidly. Within five minutes of having a drink, there’s enough alcohol in your blood to measure. The BAC is determined by how quickly alcohol is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted. The following factors can influence the BAC:

• gender
• race
• food consumed
• chronic alcohol consumption
• drinking pattern
• medications

The consumption of one standard drink will result in a peak in BAC within 35 to 45 minutes. A 150-pound person with normal liver function metabolizes about 7 to 14 grams of alcohol per hour, which is approximately 100 to 200 mg/kg of body weight per hour. This is comparable to 8 to 12 ounces of beer or half of an alcoholic drink. Controlling the rate of consumption will give your liver time to metabolize the alcohol and limit your BAC. Once you stop drinking, your blood alcohol level decreases by about 0.01% per hour. You are legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.8. Time is the only way to eliminate alcohol from your system, so cold showers and coffee will not sober you up. Trying to get someone who is drunk to feel and appear more alert can cause a false sense of sobriety and result in many problems.



Your body has a set number of calories necessary that must be consumed to maintain your weight. This need is based on your height, weight, age, gender, and activity level. When you consume more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight. Alcohol provides many calories in a small volume and can end up being a source of unwanted extra calories and weight gain. One study showed a 20% increase in calories consumed at a meal when alcohol was consumed before the meal. There was a total caloric increase of 33% when the calories from the alcohol were added. These additional calories can very easily contribute to weight gain over a short amount of time.

Studies have shown that in the short term, alcohol stimulates food intake and can also increase subjective feelings of hunger. Other studies have shown that the stimulatory effects of alcohol on food intake are controlled by hormonal regulation of satiety and satiation, such as the hormone leptin. Regardless of the cause, the outcome is the same; people consume more food when they have consumed alcohol.

Regulating your calorie consumption is the key to successful weight loss and maintenance. A balanced diet will assist with curbing your hunger and providing the necessary nutrients for health and wellness. Alcohol is not considered a necessary component in a healthy diet. Instead, it provides a lot of calories and negatively impacts many aspects of your health. If you choose to consume alcohol, you will need to limit the quantity and frequency that you do so. You will also have to count the calories from alcohol in any diet plan. You can limit calories in your drink by choosing those with less alcohol and a limited amount of sweetened beverages. By using flavored seltzers or water, you will save many calories.

• Have one nonalcoholic drink in between each alcoholic drink.
• Select light versions whenever possible. "Light" means fewer calories, but these products are not calorie- or alcohol-free, so you will still need to limit your intake.
• Keep water available to quench your thirst while you drink alcoholic beverages.
• Learn to sip your drink to make it last longer.

The sugar in our blood, also known as blood glucose, is used for growth and energy. Blood glucose comes from the foods that we eat, the breakdown of the glucose stored in our muscles (glycogen), and it can also be made from other nutrients in the body. The primary hormones involved in maintaining a healthy blood glucose level are insulin and glucagon. Normally, when your blood sugar begins to drop, your body can respond by making more blood sugar or burning up stored sugar. And when your blood sugar begins to rise, additional insulin is secreted to bring your levels back to a healthy range.

Alcohol is considered a poison by your body, and all efforts are made to excrete it, including the cessation of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that alcohol interferes with all three sources of glucose and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. The greatest impact is seen in those who drink heavily on a frequent basis. Heavy drinkers deplete their glycogen stores within a few hours when their diet does not provide a sufficient amount of carbohydrates. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption can decrease insulin’s effectiveness, resulting in high blood sugar levels. One study showed that 45% to 70% of people with alcoholic liver disease had either glucose intolerance or diabetes.

Alcohol can also negatively impact blood sugar levels each time that it is consumed, regardless of the frequency of consumption. Research has shown that acute consumption increases insulin secretion, causing low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and can also impair the hormonal response that would normally rectify the low blood sugar. Drinking as little as 2 ounces of alcohol on an empty stomach can lead to very low blood sugar levels. This makes alcohol an even bigger problem for anyone with diabetes. Along with the impact on blood sugar, studies have also shown that alcohol can impact the effectiveness of the hypoglycemic medications, so extreme caution needs to be taken when consuming alcohol by anyone with diabetes.

There is also an increased risk of problems when combining exercise and alcohol. It is not uncommon for people to go out for a drink after playing sports (for example, hockey, soccer, tennis) or to consume some alcoholic beverages while playing. Your blood sugars naturally drop during exercise, and your body is working on replacing your glycogen stores once you are finished. Consuming alcohol during this time will halt this process and can cause blood sugar levels to stay at an unhealthy level.

Alcohol can wreak havoc on a system that is in place for your health and well being. Excessively low or high blood sugar levels have long-term consequences. If you choose to consume alcohol, here are some tips to help avoid this problem.

• Never drink on an empty stomach.
• Start with nonalcoholic beverages to satisfy your thirst and continue to have one available while you consume alcohol.
• Limit the amount that you drink.
• You can make a drink last longer and lower the impact that it will have on your blood sugars by having a wine spritzer.
• If you have diabetes, speak with your physician about how alcohol will affect your medication(s).
• Consume beverages without alcohol during and after exercise.

When alcohol replaces food, there can be numerous deficiencies caused by the lack of an adequate intake of nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies are common among alcoholics, but they can also be found in people who consume alcohol on a regular basis. The following are common deficiencies brought on by alcohol consumption:

• Folate: Helps produce and maintain new cells. Alcohol interferes with dietary folate intake, folate absorption, transport of folate to necessary tissues, and the storage and release of folate by the liver.
• Vitamin B12: It is needed to help make DNA and to maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. Studies have shown that both moderate and heavy alcohol consumption will affect vitamin B12 levels. One study showed a 5% decrease in mean serum vitamin B12 concentrations when consumption of alcohol increased from 0 to 30 grams of alcohol/day.
• Vitamin A: It is needed for vision, to regulate the immune system, for bone growth, for reproduction, cell division, and differentiation. Alcohol has been found to promote a deficiency of vitamin A and also enhance its toxicity when taken in excessive amounts.
• Calcium: It is needed for blood vessel and muscle contraction and expansion, for the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and for transmission of messages through the nervous system. Alcohol consumption can cause a loss of calcium in the body by increasing urinary calcium excretion. Calcium deficiency can also lead to osteoporosis.

Numerous other deficiencies will occur when alcohol replaces nutrients in a balanced diet. The damage to your liver and other organs brought on by chronic, excessive alcohol consumption will cause severe problems that can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The long-term consequences of these deficiencies far outweigh the small amount of health benefits that have been found with alcohol consumption.



The low-carb-dieting craze has led to an increased consumption of diet beverages being used in mixed alcoholic drinks. Premixed alcoholic drinks were usually made with sugar-sweetened beverages like juice and soda. The presence of sugar was thought to decrease the rapidity with which alcohol would empty from the stomach and get absorbed in the small intestines, but nothing was known about how artificial sweeteners would impact the absorption of alcohol.

A recent study examined the difference in blood alcohol levels from drinks containing sweetened (regular) versus artificially sweetened (diet) beverages. This study found a significant difference in blood alcohol levels between the two drinks. In fact, the "diet" beverage produced blood alcohol levels that would be considered illegal for driving in many jurisdictions, while comparable quantities of the "regular" beverage did not. This poses a potentially dangerous situation, and it is clear that there should be separate guidelines for the safe consumption of artificially sweetened alcoholic beverages.



Many people have heard that there are health benefits to alcohol and claim to consume it for that reason. All reported benefits are limited to an intake at or below the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations of one drink per day or less for women and two or fewer drinks per day for men.

There has been an association described between alcohol and reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The reason for this is that alcohol helps raise the levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and lowers plasma fibrinogen levels, which contribute to blood clotting.

A Danish study of 27,178 men and 29,875 women who were free of CHD monitored their intake of alcohol over 5.7 years. The men who drank the most alcohol had a lower risk of CHD. One drink a week lowered the risk by about 7%, two to four drinks by 22%, and five or six drinks a week by 29%. Those who drank every day had a 41% lower risk of heart disease than those who did not drink at all. The women also experienced a decrease in risk, but the frequency of drinking did not have the same impact as with the men. One drink a week lowered the risk by 36%, but daily drinking lowered it by 35%. The limitation to this study was that binge drinking and the number of drinks at each occasion were not studied. The pattern of drinking seems important for the possible cardioprotective effect of alcohol, and the risk of CHD is generally lower for steady versus binge drinking. Higher drinking levels increase the risk of death from cancer, liver cirrhosis, trauma, and other types of heart disease.



Your drink of choice may be due to the perceived health benefits of the individual beverages. The debate over which beverage is more beneficial continues. Beer drinkers claim that there are more vitamins in beer, while wine drinkers point to the "French paradox" for the health benefits of consuming wine. Is it the alcohol, or are there other factors that make a drink beneficial to your health?

The French paradox refers to the observation that the French have a lower mortality rate from heart disease than Americans, even though they eat similar amounts of high-fat foods, exercise less, and smoke more. Studies suggest that one of the reasons for this may be their regular consumption of red wine. Danish studies show that wine drinkers, compared with beer and distilled spirit drinkers, have lower risks of cancer, stroke, and total mortality. Other studies have shown that the frequency of wine drinking was independently related to a lower incidence of deaths due to coronary heart disease and respiratory diseases.

While there is some evidence that wine may have more beneficial effects than beer and distilled spirits, these results are still controversial and may be confounded by personal characteristics and other lifestyle factors such as diet. Beer contains more B vitamins than wine and comparable levels of different antioxidants. The antioxidants in beer come from the barley and hops used to make the beer, while the antioxidants in wine come from the grapes.

A German study of over 300 patients with known heart disease found that those who reported consuming mainly or exclusively beer had a lower risk of heart disease than others. Animal studies have shown that beer may prevent carcinogenesis and osteoporosis, and the hops may prevent and improve type 2 diabetes and suppress atherosclerosis. The studies need to be done on humans before any recommendations can be made. You may also be able to achieve these same benefits without the alcohol. One short-term study of 12 men showed that nonalcoholic beer could provide cardiovascular benefits superior to the alcoholic version.

Regardless of the kind of alcohol consumed, moderation remains the key. Excessive intakes of wine, beer, or distilled sprits will detrimentally affect your health.



Alcoholic energy drinks are the new drink of choice among younger drinkers. The trend began when energy drinks were mixed with alcohol. Companies responded by producing energy drinks mixed with alcohol. The beer-and-caffeine-combination drinks are raising a lot of concerns. The alcohol content is considerably higher than that of beer alone. A study done on 26 young people consuming an energy drink and vodka showed that they reported feeling less headache, dry mouth, and impairment after this drink than they did after drinking alcohol alone. However, tests measuring coordination and visual reaction showed they were just as impaired. One company was forced to stop selling their caffeine and alcohol drinks after a great deal of criticism. Spykes contained 12% alcohol, came in fruit and chocolate flavors, and were sold in 2-ounce bottles that were easily concealed in pockets. The argument over the flavors being geared toward young drinkers and the safety of the high alcohol and caffeine content proved too much for the company. The herbal components of the energy drinks could prove to contribute to more problems. More research needs to be done to determine the safety of these types of alcoholic drinks.



Alcohol is clearly not essential in our diet and can end up causing considerable problems. Here are some dietary guidelines for alcohol consumption:

• Those who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should do so sensibly and in moderation defined as the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.
• Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed by some individuals, including those who cannot restrict their alcohol intake, children and adolescents, individuals taking medications that can interact with alcohol, those with specific medical conditions, and women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, those who are pregnant and lactating women.
• Alcoholic beverages should be avoided by individuals engaging in activities that require attention, skill, or coordination, such as driving or operating machinery.

The reason that people consume alcohol is clear, but the cost of this consumption is not. Alcohol is toxic to our bodies, and the cost can be irreversible when intake exceeds recommended levels. The damage is not limited to alcoholics, so everyone who consumes alcohol needs to pay attention to how much they are drinking, what they are drinking, and when they are doing so.