Alcohol and Alcoholic Dietary Patterns - Term Paper Example

Alcohol and Alcoholic Dietary Patterns Number: Current Quarter: Outline: Alcohol and Alcoholic Dietary Patterns Table of Contents Outline: Alcohol and Alcoholic Dietary Patterns 2 Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Background Information and thesis statement 4 History of Alcohol 4 Nutritional perspective of Alcohol 6 Production of Alcohol 6 Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) 7 History of ADHs 8 Effects of Alcohol 9 Alcoholic Dietary Patterns 10 Prohibition of Alcohol 10 Conclusion 11 References 12 Abstract Many people who take alcohol are malnourished, either because they take little of essential nutrients (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins), or because the metabolization of alcohol prevents the body from digesting, absorbing, and using those nutrients properly. Alcoholics often experience the deficiency of vitamins and proteins, especially vitamin A, which may lead to liver disease and other disorders related to alcohol. Furthermore, alcohol is broken down in the liver by both the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme and by the enzyme system called microsomal ethanol–oxidizing system (MEOS). This generates toxic products like acetaldehyde and potentially damaging, and highly reactive oxygen–containing molecules. These products may interfere with the metabolism of other nutrients, specifically lipids and can damage the liver cells. Nutritional approaches can ameliorate or can help prevent alcoholic liver disease. For example, complete balanced diet, can be used to avert general malnutrition. Administering antioxidants may help the body to remove reactive oxygen molecules, and other reactive molecules produced from abnormal breakdown of lipids. There new agents currently being studied which are nutritional supplements for alcoholics suffering from the liver disease. The view that the prohibition failed is upon a historic flimsy base. Though the prohibition succeeded to reduce consumption and maintain political support, repeal resulted from the contextual shift. Key words: alcoholic liver disorder; nutritional deficiency; chronic AODE (alcohol and other drug effects); malnutrition; MEOS (microsomal ethanol–oxidizing system); digestion; vitamins; nutrient absorption; vitamin therapy; ethanol metabolism; liver function; NAD; fatty liver; oxidative stress; antioxidants; S–adenosylmethionine Introduction Background Information and thesis statement Alcohol provides various functions for people throughout history. It was used for a variety of purposes in the past and even now. Since the past times to the present, alcohol has played a crucial role in religion and worship. Alcoholic beverages have been used as sources of nutrients and also for their antiseptic, medicinal, and analgesic properties. Many people who take alcohol are malnourished, either because they take little of essential nutrients (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins) or because the metabolization of alcohol prevents the body from digesting, absorbing, and using those nutrients properly. Alcoholics often experience the deficiency of vitamins and proteins, especially vitamin A, which may lead to liver disease and other disorders related to alcohol. Heavy drinkers do not require medication for alcohol related problems because they show less signs of malnutrition (Heuberger, 2009). Alcoholics who take a high-fat diet without any physical activity may suffer obesity of the trunk of the body. This study identifies the nutritional value and effects of alcohol and alcoholic beverages on the consumer’s health. Alcohol has evolved over time and alcohol-abuse is now rampant than before. Its usefulness has turned out to harmful effects. Excessive intake of alcohol leads to addiction among other severe effects upon consumption. History of Alcohol Alcohol has provided various functions for people throughout history. Since the past times, to the present, alcohol has played an important role in religion and worship. Alcoholic beverages have been used as sources of nutrients and also for their antiseptic, medicinal, and analgesic properties. They are used for enjoyment and quality of life, to facilitate relaxation, as a social lubricant, for pharmacological pleasure, and to enhance the pleasure of eating. No one knows the origin of alcohol, but it was assumed that it resulted from a fortuitous accident which happened tens of thousands years ago. The discovery of beer jugs for the late Stone Age has proved the fact that fermented beverages were there as early as the Neolithic period (Patrick, 1952, pp. 12-13). Wine appeared clearly in Egyptian pictographs as a finished product (Lucia, 1963a, p. 216). Brewing started in the beginning of civilization “in ancient Egypt’’ (Cherrington, 1925, V.1, p. 404)1. Alcoholic drinks were made from honey or berries (Blum et al, 1969, p. 25, French, 1890, p. 3) and wine making originated from wild grapes regions in the Middle East. Oral tradition as recorded in the old testament of the bible (Genesis 9:20) says that Noah planted a vineyard on Mt. Ararat, now the Eastern Turkey. Beer and wine was used during the summer, for medicinal purposes in the early 2,000 (B.C.) (Babor, 1986, p. 1). The Egyptians believed that Osiris, the god of wine, invented beer and was worshipped throughout the country (King, 1947, p. 11). In the New Testament, Jesus changed water into wine in the Mediterranean region. Roman abuse of alcohol peaked from the mid of the first century. Wine was the most popular drink, and it was distributed in Rome free. This leads to excess supply during festivals and other celebrations (Babor, 1986, pp. 7-8). In the early Middle Age, rustic beers, mead, and wild fruit wines became very popular, especially among Anglo-Saxons, Celts, Germans, and Scandinavians. However, the Romance countries preferred wines to other beverages (what is now France, Spain and Italy) (Babor, 1986, p. 11). In the sixteenth century, the consumption of alcohol beverage reached 100 liters for each person per year in Spain, Valladolid, and Polish peasants consumed about three liters of beer each day (Burns, Eric. 2004). The average amount of ale and beer consumed in Coventry, was about 17 pints for each person per week, which is about 3 pints today (Monckton, 1966, p. 95). Nationwide, this consumption was around one pint per day per capita. The consumption in Sweden may have been 40 times higher than in modern Sweden. In Denmark, the consumption of beer usually appears to have been a gallon for adult laborers and sailors per day (Austin, 1985, pp. 170, 186, 192). Nutritional perspective of Alcohol Many alcoholics do not get a balanced diet; excessive consumption of alcohol may interfere with their ability to absorb and use the nutrients they consume. Heavy drinkers do not require medication for alcohol related problems because they show less malnutrition (Feinman and Leiber 1998). Alcoholics who take a high-fat diet without any physical activity may suffer obesity of the trunk of the body. This is observed particularly in women. Patients with cirrhosis2 have vitamin deficiencies due to less intake and also poor absorption of vitamins into the body system. Short-term administration of alcohol in the blood may result to increase or unchanged vitamin levels (Sato and Leiber 1981). Production of Alcohol Alcohol is made through the process called fermentation. During the process, yeast is used to break down sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The process is done in the absence of air and ethanol and water is left because carbon dioxide escapes into the air. The technique used during the production of the beverage determines the alcohol content. When alcohol is in your system, the body makes its metabolization a priority for it to be stored in your body. Alcohol has a negative impact on the amount of blood sugar when consumed, regardless of the amount. Acute consumption of alcohol increases secretion of insulin3 which lowers blood sugar, and can also affect the hormones that rectify the blood sugar levels. Alcohol can wreak havoc on the system in place for your health and well-being. Alcohol also affects the heart by weakening heart muscle causing alcoholic cardiomyopathy condition. One out 12 people suffers from this condition. Drinking large amount of alcohol can be dangerous, especially when a person is not used to. Excess quantities will damage the heart in the short-term, and long-term and so limitations need to be set. The consumption also affects your weight. The body requires a particular amount of calories to maintain weight. When the body intakes more calories than it require, its weight increases. Alcohol forces one to consume more calories when drunk. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is group dehydrogenase enzymes which occur in organisms and does the inter conversion of alcohol to ketones or aldehyde with the decrease of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Genetic evidence for multiple organisms shows that a dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase is an ancestral enzyme for the entire family of ADH. An effective way of eliminating both exogenous and endogenous formaldehyde was important earlier on during the evolution. This has conserved ADH-3 through time. The production of ethanol from sugar, evolved in the yeast during fermentation. The first alcohol dehydrogenase was purified in 1937 from baker’s yeast. ADH is used to catalyze the oxidation of different alcohols. Deficiency, fatty dehydrogenase is a genetic disease characterized by thickened fishlike skin (ichthyosis), mental retardation and spasticity of legs (spastic paraplegia). Genetic factors play a prominent role in the alcohol dependence development. Alcohol dependence is high for people who are related to an alcoholic genetically. There is greater concordance rate of alcohol dependence in monozygotic than dizygotic twins. Genes that encode metabolizing enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1B) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2)4 are the genes that have links to alcoholism. History of ADHs In 1937, ADH was first purified and crystallized from brewer’s yeast by Wulff and Negelein (United States. 2005). In 1948, Wassen and Bonnichsen crystallized ADH from a horse liver (Bonnichsen and Wassen 1948). They found that these two ADHs had different properties. In the early 1950s, Chance and Theorell studied the dissociation constant and stoichiometry of the enzyme complex of a mammal. It was concluded that the yeast enzyme is twice the size of mammalian ADH, and about 100 times more active (Hayes and Velick 1953). In 1955, Hoch and Vallee found the presence of Zinc metal (Hoch and Vallee 1955a). In the 1960s, the study of alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors was carried out (Atkinson et al. 1967), alongside the roles of particular structural components (Auricchio and Bruni 1969). Kinetic and Structural studies (Blackwell et al. 1974) continued up to 1970s when conformational changes related with binding were investigated (Abdallah et al. 1975), alongside the isozymes (Berger et al. 1974). During the 1980s the biochemistry, genetics, and developmental regulation of ADH in a variety of species, including pig (United States. 2005) and mice (Watabiki et al. 1989), were then investigated. The 1990s findings brought better knowledge in the role of the zinc as a metal (Magonet et al. 1992), and the discovery of other inhibitors (Pereira et al. 1992, Cha and Sacha 1994, and Shiao et al. 1994). The recent research has focused on getting alcohol dehydrogenase with high catalytic activity, and better understanding on the regulation of ADH gene (Larroy et al. 2002a and b; Lertwattanasakul et al. 2007, and Park 2009).5 Effects of Alcohol From the second someone takes the first sip, alcohol begins to affect the body and mind. Someone starts feeling more sociable, walking and talking become harder when taken in excess. Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to sickness, nausea and diarrhoea. Drinking excess alcohol causes bloating and circles under the eyes of the user, dries out the skin leading to wrinkles and premature aging. The skin begins from the ability to blush and flush and progress to a facial disfiguration. This condition of the skin is called rhinophyma.6 There are also cases of alcohol poisoning, which leads to loss of lives. Alcohol also affects the liver of the consumers. The liver is always the primary site for the alcohol metabolization; this is why liver problems occur from consuming excess alcohol. Alcohol is detoxified and expelled from the blood through oxidation process. Oxidation stops the alcohol from accumulating to levels of destroying cells and organs. The healthy liver oxidizes pure ethanol in the rate of approximately ? - ? of an ounce in an hour, which is slightly less than 1 ounce of the hard liquor. When alcohol is taken, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) increases rapidly. This is used to determine how alcohol is distributed, absorbed, metabolized, and excreted in the body. Other diseases, which are caused by excessive consumption of alcohol include; cancer, chronic pancreatitis, diabetes and heart disease. Alcohol also affects mental health by altering the brain’s chemistry and increasing the risk of depression. Too much consumption can lead to addiction and dependence on alcohol for the day. This can seriously affects families, partners and friends. Alcoholic Dietary Patterns In determining the relationship between alcohol consumption and macronutrient dietary patterns in the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III, history of alcohol consumption and physical examination were obtained. Pearson’s correlation coefficients are used to determine the relationship of the percentage of energy from macronutrients and alcohol consumption levels. Alcohol intake is oppositely related to the body mass index and body weight in women. Alcohol intake can be associated with changes in patterns of food intake with the replacement of alcohol for other nutrients. The body processes and uses energy produced from alcohol in a more complex way. Energy derived from alcoholic beverages is considered as “empty calories’’ because it contains no calories. The relationship between gender, weight, body and alcohol is debatable. Prohibition of Alcohol This is making rules that prevent the excessive consumption of alcohol by eliminating companies that manufactures, sells and distributes alcohol. Prohibition7 can target certain age group or gender. It is also the ban on the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol. The prohibition of alcohol is used to curb the excessive consumption which has brought severe effects on the people. This prohibition leads to economic loss since many businesses were closed. Alcohol business became an illegal trade, and people play the ``cat and mouse’’ game. It also made criminals of millions of people while court rooms and jails overflowed, and the legal system failed. Prohibition fostered intemperance making the problem of alcohol abuse even worse than before. It led to more people drinking more than it was earlier was when research is done. Conclusion Alcohol has served a crucial role in enhancing enjoyment and quality of life, which should not be underestimated. It can provide entertainment, can serve as a social lubricant, can facilitate relaxation, can enhance the flavors of food, and can provide pharmacological pleasure (Korsmeyer, et al., 2009). Alcohol has proved clearly to be beneficial to many, but it has always been misused by a minority of drinkers. The founding Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said, "... alcohol has existed longer than all human memory. It has outlived generations, nations, epochs and ages. It is a part of the people, and that is fortunate indeed. Alcohol will always be a master of some people but also it will continue to be the servant of man for most of us" (Chafetz, 1965, p. 223). Chronic drinkers do not consume a balanced diet hence show signs of malnutrition such as deficiencies of proteins, amino acids, and certain vitamins. Vitamin A is useful for eye functioning and bone growth. Lack of vitamin or excessive intake can lead to liver disease or fibrosis. There are changes in the dietary patterns daily with increasing consumption of alcohol and energy derived from alcoholic drinks substitutes for macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, and fat. The study also brings the comparison between the percentage of energy from macronutrients and alcohol consumption levels. The relationship between gender, weight, body and alcohol is debatable. Alcoholics are malnourished because alcohol affects their absorbance of food in the body system. References United States. 2005. A healthier you: based on the Dietary guidelines for Americans. [Rockville, Md.]: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. United States. 2005. Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2005. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O. Matalas, Antonia-Leda. 2001. The Mediterranean diet: constituents and health promotion. Boca Raton, Fla: CRC Press. Hales, Dianne R. 2013. An invitation to health: build your future. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Burns, Eric. 2004. The spirits of America: a social history of alcohol. Philadelphia, Pa: Temple University Press. Cook, Philip J. 2007. Paying the tab: the economics of alcohol policy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Okrent, Daniel. 2010. Last call: the rise and fall of Prohibition. New York: Scribner. Bretz-Lutstorf, Ursula, Ursula Bretz-Lutstorf, and Ursula Bretz-Lutstorf. 1970. Properties of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzymes ; Subunit composition of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzymes ; Heterogeneity of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase. [S.l.]: [s.n.]. Heuberger, Roschelle. 2009. "Alcohol and the Older Adult: A Comprehensive Review". Journal of Nutrition For the Elderly. 28 (3): 203-235. Korsmeyer, Pamela, and Henry R. Kranzler. 2009. Encyclopedia of drugs, alcohol & addictive behavior. Detroit, Mich: Macmillan Reference USA. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/eBooks?ste=22&docNum=CX2699799999&q=kcls. Peters, Timothy J. 1996. Alcohol misuse: a European perspective. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Harwood Academic Publishers. Burns, Eric. 2004. The spirits of America: a social history of alcohol. Philadelphia, Pa: Temple University Press. Gately, Iain. 2008. Drink: a cultural history of alcohol. New York: Gotham Books. Read More