Alcohol consumption is closely linked to food consumption. We all remember the old home remedy of drinking a glass of alcohol before eating to whet your appetite. Was it just a custom or did it really have some scientific basis?
Indeed, consuming low amounts of alcohol promotes appetite and can stimulate food intake. It is known that, after consumption, the correct satiety signals are not generated in the nervous system that modulate food intake in the short term, increasing total caloric intake.
On the contrary, excessive alcohol consumption sustained over time is usually accompanied by loss of appetite and malnutrition in the individual, due to the physiological alterations that alcoholism produces.
Alcohol is a highly caloric substance that provides around 7 kilocalories for each gram of ethanol: a can of beer or a glass of wine, for example, contain around 120 calories. However, these are “empty calories”, since they do not include a relevant additional contribution of other macronutrients, vitamins or minerals.
The alcohol industry, mainly the wine industry, has put a lot of interest in spreading its richness in polyphenols, substances that stand out for their antioxidant properties. However, of the total average intake of polyphenols in the Spanish diet, only 8-9% comes from wine and 2% from beer. For example, an orange or an apple would provide similar concentrations of polyphenols as a comparable intake of red wine, and the average intake of bread in our diet would double it.
A particular type of polyphenol, resveratrol, has also received a lot of publicity, as wine is its largest source in the diet (more than 98%). However, its effectiveness is easily questioned because, to reach the preventive dose of this substance (1 g/day), one would have to drink no less than 550 liters of red wine or 1,300 liters of beer.
Moderate alcohol consumption is frequently included as a characteristic component in some balanced diets, and is even represented in food pyramids such as the Mediterranean diet.
However, it has been proven that the greater the amount of alcohol consumption, the worse the quality of the diet. This refers, in general terms, to a lower consumption of fruit and dairy products, and an increase in the consumption of animal products (meat, fish and eggs) compared to abstainers.
Furthermore, consumers of large amounts of alcohol reduce their carbohydrate and fiber intake, which can have negative consequences on the digestion process, among other aspects.
Differences are also observed depending on the type of alcoholic beverage. Preferential consumers of beer and spirits tend to follow poorer quality dietary patterns than abstainers. Regarding wine, better diet quality has only been observed in northern Europe and the United States, while no differences are found in Mediterranean countries.
The Mediterranean diet is considered a healthy diet model, mainly due to its benefits in reducing mortality and its link with a better state of general health. Traditionally, moderate consumption of red wine during meals has been included in this dietary model.
However, in the specific case of Spain, it has been observed that people who consume alcohol with meals follow the healthy eating guidelines to a lesser extent, which are based on the main points of the classic Mediterranean diet.
Another national study, which evaluated the follow-up of the Mediterranean diet based on alcohol consumption patterns in a representative sample of the Spanish adult population, demonstrated that the “Mediterranean pattern of alcohol consumption” was not part of the current consideration of Mediterranean diet.
Despite numerous studies that have analyzed the effect of alcohol consumption on obesity, the scientific evidence is inconsistent. Although it has not been proven that alcohol consumption is associated with weight gain in itself, insufficient compensation for its energy intake without reducing food consumption or increasing physical activity can lead to a caloric imbalance in the body. As a consequence, consumers would be more prone to body weight gain.
Therefore, if you are going to consume alcohol, you should keep in mind that it only provides empty calories that impact our caloric balance, increasing total energy intake. Furthermore, alcohol consumption, especially if consumed in high quantities, is associated with a poorer quality diet that favors the consumption of foods rich in proteins and fats to the detriment of fruits and vegetables.
Taking into account that it is a risk factor for numerous diseases and that any amount of alcohol increases the probability of having cancer, it is sensible to follow the recommendation of the World Health Organization: “Alcohol, the less, the better.”
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Julia Fontán Vela has a degree in Biotechnology and Epidemiology, and Iñaki Galán Labaca is an epidemiologist.