TY - JOUR

T1 - Nutritional deficiencies in German middle-class male alcohol consumers

T2 - Relation to dietary intake and severity of liver disease

AU - Bergheim, I

AU - Parlesak, Alexandr

AU - Dierks, C

AU - Bode, J C

AU - Bode, Ch

N1 - (Ekstern)

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare the nutrient intake and the nutritional status between German middle-class alcohol consumers and non-drinkers. Design: Cross-sectional study using patients with different stages of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and healthy volunteers. Setting: Southern Germany. Subjects: Seventy-six hospitalized German middle-class alcohol consumers with different stages of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and 22 healthy control subjects. Methods: Subjects and controls were nutritionally assessed and mineral and vitamin content was measured in blood and urine. Results: When compared with controls, alcohol consumers had significantly higher intakes of total calories, but intake of non-alcoholic calories did not differ between groups (P < 0.05). Among drinkers, there was a decrease in percentage of energy derived from protein and fat and a significant increase in carbohydrates (P < 0.05). With the exception of vitamin E, micronutrient intake of alcoholics was equal to that of controls; however, blood vitamin (vitamin C, retinol, lycopene, α- and γ-carotene) and trace element (selenium, zinc) concentrations of alcohol-drinking patients were lower than those of non-drinkers. Conclusion: From the results of this study it is concluded that in German middle-class male alcohol consumers the status of several micronutrients is disturbed, although dietary intake hardly differs from that in non-alcoholic controls.

AB - Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare the nutrient intake and the nutritional status between German middle-class alcohol consumers and non-drinkers. Design: Cross-sectional study using patients with different stages of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and healthy volunteers. Setting: Southern Germany. Subjects: Seventy-six hospitalized German middle-class alcohol consumers with different stages of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and 22 healthy control subjects. Methods: Subjects and controls were nutritionally assessed and mineral and vitamin content was measured in blood and urine. Results: When compared with controls, alcohol consumers had significantly higher intakes of total calories, but intake of non-alcoholic calories did not differ between groups (P < 0.05). Among drinkers, there was a decrease in percentage of energy derived from protein and fat and a significant increase in carbohydrates (P < 0.05). With the exception of vitamin E, micronutrient intake of alcoholics was equal to that of controls; however, blood vitamin (vitamin C, retinol, lycopene, α- and γ-carotene) and trace element (selenium, zinc) concentrations of alcohol-drinking patients were lower than those of non-drinkers. Conclusion: From the results of this study it is concluded that in German middle-class male alcohol consumers the status of several micronutrients is disturbed, although dietary intake hardly differs from that in non-alcoholic controls.

KW - Alcohol

KW - Antioxidants

KW - Lycopene

KW - Nutrition

KW - Selenium

KW - Tocopherol

KW - Zinc

U2 - 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601557

DO - 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601557

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 12627180

AN - SCOPUS:12244278998

VL - 57

SP - 431

EP - 438

JO - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

JF - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

SN - 0954-3007

IS - 3

ER -