Alcohol

Nutrition, culture, and disease

Photo credit: istockphoto.com

 What IS Alcohol ?

Fermented beverages
• the chemical breakdown of a substance by
bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms,
typically involving effervescence and the giving
off of heat.
• the process of fermentation involved in the
making of beer, wine, and liquor, in which sugars
are converted to ethyl alcohol

Image credit: healthytravelblog.com

What sugars make which drink?
Sugar/plant Alcoholic drink
Grapes & other fruits Wine
Wheat, rye Some beers, rye whiskey
Potatoes mixed with grains and berries Vodka, gin
Corn (mash) Moonshine
Apples, pears Hard apple cider, perry
Malt (sprouted grain, usually barley, dried) Beer, Irish whiskey, scotch
Rice Sake
Agave Pulque or tequila
Molasses or cane sugar Rum

Seigler, D. (2005). Alcoholic beverages from plants. Retrieved

from: http://www.life.illinois.edu/ib/363/ALCBEVER.html
Why has alcohol been historically important?
• Ancient humans needed to develop the ability to live off of fermented
(rotten) fruit, so they developed an enzyme to break down alcohol
(Barclay, 2014).
• Water supplies can easily become contaminated. Fermenting kills off
pathogenic bacteria, so humans could stay hydrated.
• Allows humans to escape consciousness (Barclay, 2014).
• When could this be a good thing?

Image credit: NPR.org

Nutrition and Alcohol
• 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories
• No nutrition facts label? Not regulated by the FDA
• Contributes to:
• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Type 2 DM
• Some cancers: breast, liver, colon/rectum,
esophageal/mouth/larynx/pharynx Image credit:
centralohiowine.com
• Micronutrients-usually trace amounts
• Too many soil amendments can decrease the quality of
wine.
Nutrition & Alcohol
How does alcohol effect nutrition status?
• Displaces nutrients in the diet
• Effects the way some nutrients are absorbed
• Increases risk of malnutrition and damage to
gastrointestinal tract
• Increases certain chronic disease risks including
obesity Photo credit: comparethemarket.au
Culture & Alcohol
• Some cultures include table wine at almost every meal
• Some cultures strictly prohibit any alcohol consumption
• In the US
• Original Peoples
• Prohibition
• Party culture

Photo credit: lifeandthyme.com

Cultures that Encourage Alcohol
• Australia
• Japan
• Some South American cultures
• Most of Europe
• Northern Europe mostly on the weekends and
heavier
• Southern Europe daily at most meals
Cultures that prohibit alcohol
• Most Islamic groups
• Even in highly Islamic populated providences in India, alcohol is illegal
• Some Christian subcultures
• Mormons
• Pentecostals
• Seventh Day Adventist
• Some Baptist
• Amish*
Culture & Alcohol in the US
Original People
• Prior to European invasion and colonization,
most original inhabitants of North America did
not drink alcohol
• Those based in Central America and into the
Southwest region (think desert) had some
intake
• After forced relocation, many tribal nations
have struggled with high alcohol consumption Photo credit:
alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org
rates

Abbott, n.d.
Prohibition
• 18th Amendment
• Increased drinking due to large fluctuation of
European immigrants
• Concern over excessive drinking, gambling,
and prostitution
• Actually did decrease the amount of drinking
in the US
• Illegal operations viewed contemporarily as
“heroes” Photo credit: thinglink.com

OSU, n.d.
Party Culture
• Belief that youth makes you entitled to
drink and have a good time because
YOLO
• This belief comes from:
• Music and movies idealizing partying
• Extended adolescence with low cultural
responsibility
• Longer lifespans Photo credit: collegemagazine.com
• Increased college enrollment
Tonic or Poison?
It is both.
• Poison
• Teratogenic
• Increases risk of accidents of all kinds
• Depressive & addictive drug
• Increases risk of chronic disease Image credit: pinterest.com

• Tonic
• Pain reliever
• Small amounts possibly reduce heart disease
• Can allow for safe fluid consumption

Photo credit: memecenter.com

Alcohol across the lifespan
• Fetal alcohol spectrum
disorders
• Increased risk of accidents
• Increased risk of acute and
chronic health conditions
• Alcoholism
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
• Range of disorders from mild to severe associated with maternal
alcohol consumption during pregnancy
• There is no safe amount known to drink during pregnancy
• Some women have more of the enzyme used to break down alcohol
than others which may explain differences seen in FASD
• Symptoms include physical malformations and cognitive impairments
Small head size Short height No philtrum
Hyperactive behavior Learning problems Poor memory
Attention disorders Speech delays Poor coordination
Bone, kidney, heart Trouble hearing Poor impulse control
problems
 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Image credit: CanadaQBank Image credit: medicaldictionary.com

Increased Risk of Accidents
• Car accidents
• One death for every 51 minutes of the day (CDC, 2017).
• Alcohol related crashes cost approximately 44 billion a year (CDC, 2017)
• Personal accidents
• Increased by binge drinking
• Women: 4 or more drinks during a single occasion (CDC, 2016).
• Men: 5 or more drinks during a single occasion (CDC, 2016).
• 26.9% of adults report binge drinking within the past month (NIH, 2017).
Increased risk of acute and chronic illness
• Short term
• Injuries
• Violence, including homicide, suicide, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence.
• Alcohol poisoning, a medical emergency that results from high blood alcohol levels
• Risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners. These behaviors can
result in unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
• Miscarriage and stillbirth or FASDs.
• Long term
• High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.
• Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon.
• Learning and memory problems, including dementia and poor school performance.
• Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.
• Social problems, including lost productivity, family problems, and unemployment.
• Alcohol dependence, or alcoholism.

CDC. (July, 2016). Alcohol use and your health.

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
Alcoholism: Alcohol Use Disorder
• 15.1 million adults are estimated to have this disease (NIH, 2017).
• No matter the severity, recovery is possible (NIH, 2017).
• Can interfere with medications
• Alcohol can displace needed nutrients and macro and micronutrient
deficiencies can affect health.
• Thiamine, Niacin, & folate (other B vitamins too)
• Proteins-especially some essential amino acids
• Essential fatty acids
• Calcium
• Vitamin A
Benefits to a little alcohol?
• May increase HDL levels
• May be attributed to social benefits
• Gallstones and Type 2 DM lower in moderate drinkers, higher in heavy
drinkers
• May be protective against developing heart disease
What is moderate alcohol consumption?

• Women- no more
than 1 drink per day
• Men-no more than 2
drinks per day

Image credit: pinterest.com

Harvard, 2017
 What is a drink?
Beverage Amount

Beer 12 ounces

Wine 5 ounces

Liquor 1.5 ounces

Photo credit: NIH.gov

Each amount gives about 12-14 grams of
alcohol or 84-98 calories.

Harvard, 2017
Questions to Consider
• Should a non-drinker start to drink for the “benefits” of alcohol
consumption?
• Should an infrequent drinker increase the amount of drinking to
“moderate” levels?
• Do you think short term (think college) binge drinking has lasting
effects?
• Have you ever changed what you ate because you were drinking?
What change did you make?
References
• Abbott, P. (n.d.). American Indian and Alaska Native Aboriginal use of alcohol in the United States.
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/PublicHealth/research/centers/CAIANH/journal/Documents/Volume
%207/7(2)_Abbott_Use_of_Alcohol_1-13.pdf
• Barclay, E. (December 2014). Our ability to digest alcohol may have been the key to our survival.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/03/368044880/our-ability-to-digest-alcohol-may-have-been-key-to-our-survival
• https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/diet-physical-activity/alcohol-use-and-cancer.html
• CDC. (June, 2017). Impaired driving: Get the facts.
https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html
• CDC. (July, 2016). Alcohol use and your health. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
• CDC. (June, 2016). Facts about FASDs. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/facts.html
• European Commission (EC). (November, 2017). Alcohol consumption.
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/specialist/knowledge/alcohol/prevalence_amp_rate_of_alcohol_consumption/
alcohol_consumption_en
• Harvard C.H. Chan. (2017). Alcohol: Balancing risks and facts. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol-full-story/
• NIH. (June, 2017). Alcohol facts and statistics.
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
• The Ohio State University (OSU). (n.d.). Why prohibition? https://prohibition.osu.edu/why-prohibition
• Seigler, D. (2005). Alcoholic beverages from plants. http://www.life.illinois.edu/ib/363/ALCBEVER.html