1. PBRC Publication # 59
Alcohol Awareness October 2009
Alcohol — Negative Effets
It is common for
stimulates the activity Parkinson’s disease
people to drink
of enzymes that pro- and Alzheimer’s dis-
alcoholic beverages
mote free radical pro- ease, and vitamin defi-
while socializing. The Inside this issue:
duction. Further, alco- ciencies.
question is, how
hol can alter the levels
much alcohol is too Binge Drinking
of certain metals in 2
much? About Alcohol
the body, and reduce Binge drinking is de-
Alcohol metabolism the levels of agents fined as having more
that can eliminate free Risks from Alco-
causes free radical than three or four 2
formation in the body radicals. The resulting hol Consumption
drinks in a short peri-
state is known as od of time. Did You Know
Free radicals are oxidative stress which 3
small and highly That...
can lead to cell injury. Binge drinking may
reactive molecules increase a persons About Pennington 4
that are naturally Due to the oxidative risk of a stroke,
generated in small stress and cell injury cardiomyopathy,
amounts during the caused by alcohol, fetal heart syndrome,
body’s metabolic drinking can increase or cardiac
reactions and can your risk for many arrhythmia.
react with and types of cancers, Binge drinking has also
damage cellular fats, stroke and heart been shown to lead to
proteins, or DNA*. disease. increased risk for
Alcohol promotes cardiovascular disease
It can also increase
the generation of free and hypertension.
your risk for diabetes,
radicals, particularly
neurodegenerative * NIH
in the liver. It also
diseases, including
Alcohol — Cardiovascular Benefits
The American Heart day. Men metabolize (2003) found that all
Association recom- alcohol faster and they types of alcoholic
mends that women have larger body mass beverages have the
drink no more than and can therefore same potential to re-
one alcoholic drink metabolize a higher duce the risk of having
per day. Higher in- dose. These values are a heart attack.
take has been linked guidelines for alcohol Moderate alcohol
to an increased risk consumption as it consumption has been
of breast cancer. It is relates to decreasing linked to increasing
recommended that the risk of a heart HDL (good cholester-
men consume no attack. A large study ol) levels by about
more than two by the New England twelve percent!
alcoholic drinks per Journal of Medicine

2. Page 2
Alcohol Awareness
Sources: American Heart Association
National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
About alcohol
Alcohol consumption can have Liver disease Do not mix alcohol and med-
detrimental effects and even a ications, either over the coun-
moderate intake can lead to Porphyria ter or prescription. Alcohol
serious side effects in certain is a depressant that slows
Heart Failure
individuals. People should not down brain activity and reduces
consume alcohol if you have Pregnancy or if you think inhibitions. Some medications
the following: you may become pregnant cause you to become sleepy,
drowsy, or lightheaded. Drink-
Personal or family history If you take aspirin reg- ing alcohol while taking medi-
of alcoholism ularly; it may cause blood cines can intensify these ef-
to become too thin with fects. Alcohol can reduce the
Uncontrolled high blood
Alcoholism alcohol consumption. effectiveness of some medica-
pressure
contributes to tions, and it can combine with
If you use medication that other medications to
hepatitis, cirrhosis High blood triglyceride
can have adverse cause or increase side ef-
of the liver, levels
reactions when mixed fects.
malnutrition,
Pancreatitis with alcohol.
pancreatitis,
stomach ulcers,
fetal alcohol Risks from alcohol consumption*
syndrome, heart
disease, and some
It is important to understand alcohol. Babies with FAS have Alcoholic hepatitis
cancers.
that excessive alcohol intake distinctive facial features, they
is linked to weakening of the are born small, and many have More common in women than
heart muscle, hemorrhagic behavioral impairments as well. in men.
stroke, cirrhosis of the liver, The brain damage that occurs
Brain disease
pancreatitis, certain types of with FAS is lifelong resulting in
cancers, trauma, suicide, and learning, memory, attention, Loss of mental function,
homicide. Alcohol has also and problem solving reduced brain size, and chang-
been shown to increase blood impairment. It is not known if es in the function of brain cells.
pressure. The following are there is any safe drinking level Cancer
serious conditions that can during pregnancy; nor is
Many studies report that heavy
occur with alcohol there any stage of pregnancy in
drinking increases the risk of
consumption. which drinking—at any level—
breast cancer, cancers of the
is known to be risk free. If a digestive track and of the head
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
woman is pregnant, or and neck.
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
wants to become
is the most common known Heart disease
pregnant, she should not
preventable cause of mental
drink alcohol. Chronic heavy drinking is a
impairment that occurs when a
leading cause of cardiovascular
pregnant woman consumes * CDC
disease.

3. Page 3
Publication # 59
Did You Know That...
One ’drink’ is defined as: including those who drank HDL cholesterol.
less than once a week,
12 ounces of beer also had a decreased risk As we age, it takes longer
of heart attack. for us to metabolize any
5 ounces of wine given amount of alcohol.
Men who drank two
1.5 ounces of spirits Large consumption of
drinks per day were fifty
percent less likely to die alcohol may raise
of any cause, when triglyceride levels and lead
compared to those who to high blood pressure,
drank once per week or heart failure, and
less. increased caloric intake.
Women who drank Drinking more alcohol
alcohol about one to six increases the risk for
drinks per week or less alcoholism, breast cancer,
were twenty-eight high blood pressure,
percent less likely to die obesity, suicide and
Liver is the most
Alcohol may protect of any cause, when accidents.
against heart attacks by
affected organ by
compared to those who
Heavy drinking is defined alcohol due to its
inhibiting constriction of drank less frequently.
the coronary arteries, as having more than one central role in
which limits clot formation Alcohol, or a substance drink a day for women
metabolizing it.
and decreases the level of such as resveratrol, which and more than two dinks
homocysteine, an amino is found in red wine, may a day for men.
acid that is commonly prevent platelets in the
Drinking more than
linked to an increased risk blood from sticking to one
three drinks per day has
of heart attack. another. This may reduce
a direct toxic effect on the
clot formation, thus
In a study from the journal heart and other organs.
decreasing the risk of a
Addiction, 427 men who heart attack. Heavy drinking can
recently had a nonfatal damage the heart and lead
heart attack were The best known beneficial
to high blood pressure,
compared with 905 similar effect of alcohol is that it
alcoholic cardiomyopathy,
men who had never had a causes a small increase in
congestive heart failure,
heart attack. The men the levels of HDL
and stroke.
who drank alcohol daily in cholesterol (good
the previous two years, cholesterol); however, Heavy drinking can cause
were 59% less likely to regular physical activity is cirrhosis of the liver and
have a heart attack than another way to raise HDL destruction of liver cells.
life long abstainers. Those cholesterol levels. Niacin
who drank alcohol less supplements may also
frequently than daily, cause a further increase in

4. Facts About Alcohol bloodstream. Individuals with a defect in activity which can impede alcohol
alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme metabolism. Individuals who have im-
Metabolism*: metabolize alcohol slowly, it can build paired alcohol metabolism are at a low
in the bloodstream, and it’s metabolic risk of becoming an alcoholic due to the
Alcohol has 7 calories a gram. Alcohol intermediate can lead to unpleasant unpleasant side effects, however, those
gets priority in metabolism over symptoms such as facial flushing, that metabolize alcohol effectively are at
carbohydrate and fat. This priority is light-headedness, palpitations, and a higher risk of becoming alcoholics.
one of the reasons that alcoholics can nausea. Alcohol metabolism may be Alcohol absorption varies with the
get fatty liver. Fat has the last in priority reduced in individuals from Native concentration of alcohol in the
for metabolism and it can build up in the American, Japanese, Chinese, and beverage, the rate at which alcohol is
liver. Alcohol metabolism is controlled Korean backgrounds, mainly due to vari- consumed, and the presence of food in
by an enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. ation in the amount and activity of alco- the stomach or whether alcohol is
Some individuals have low level of alco- hol dehydrogenase enzyme, making it consumed together with meals.
hol dehydrogenase enzyme and alcohol less effective. Some Caucasian groups as
can therefore build up in the well have variations in the enzyme * http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/
About Pennington
Mission:
To promote healthier lives through research and education in
nutrition and preventive medicine. Pennington Nutrition Series No 59, 2009
Authors:
The Pennington Center has several research areas, including:
Clinical Obesity Research Beth Kalicki
Experimental Obesity
Functional Foods Heli J. Roy, PhD, RD
Health and Performance Enhancement
Nutrition and Chronic Diseases
Nutrition and the Brain
Dementia, Alzheimer’s and healthy aging Division of Education
Diet, exercise, weight loss and weight loss maintenance
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The research fostered in these areas can have a profound impact
on healthy living and on the prevention of common chronic 8/10
diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes,
hypertension and osteoporosis.
The Division of Education provides education and
information to the scientific community and the public about
research findings, training programs and research areas, and
coordinates educational events for the public on various health Pennington Biomedical
issues. Research Center
6400 Perkins Road
We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in
the exciting research studies being conducted at the Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Pennington Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If you would like (225) 763-2500
to take part, visit the clinical trials web page at www.pbrc.edu www.pbrc.edu
or call (225) 763-3000.