Drinking More Makes the Diet Poor

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People who drink more alcohol also are more likely to eat poorly, says a study. Adults who drink more alcohol also eat less fruit. They also take in more calories, compared with people who don't drink. The study also found that men who drink more alcohol eat fewer whole grains and milk products. The study was done by groups at the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was published in the April 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

Some doctors think that drinking small amounts of alcohol might be good for your health. Studies suggest that up to one drink a day for women, and two or fewer drinks a day for men, may lower your risk of heart disease.

But drinking more alcohol can increase your risk of other health problems, such as cancer and liver disease. Moderation seems to be the key -- too much alcohol is not good for you. People who drink heavily are at risk for many serious diseases. Is this from the alcohol itself, or is it related to the diet of heavy drinkers?

For a long time it has been suspected that if you drink a lot of alcohol, you probably have an unhealthy diet. This study suggests that this is true. It found that the more alcohol a person drinks, the lower is the quality of his or her diet. Compared with non-drinkers, people who drink a lot of alcohol get more of their daily calories from alcohol, unhealthy fats and added sugars. And they eat less fruit and fewer whole grains and milk products. These dietary differences might play a role in the development of health problems.

Heavy drinking can affect diet in many ways. It might decrease your appetite for healthy, nourishing foods. You might miss meals. You may have problems absorbing nutrients and can develop dangerous nutritional deficiencies.

The more you drink, the more you affect the quality of your diet. So people who drink alcohol should definitely pay attention to what they eat, and not only to what they drink. It is important to consume nutrient-dense foods, such as whole fruits and whole grains. These provide vitamins, minerals and fiber, with relatively few calories. And for good health, people should limit the consumption of alcohol, unhealthy fats and added sugars, which provide calories but few essential nutrients.

If you are going to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Good nutrition can improve health and prevent diseases. Your body needs the nutrients -- vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbohydrates -- in food. Eating an unhealthy diet might lead to poor health.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

Try to limit the amount of alcohol you drink. How can you do that?

1. Try eating healthy, nutritious foods before you have any alcohol. Never drink on an empty stomach.
2. Drink water or other nonalcoholic beverages first. Satisfy your thirst before having any alcoholic drinks.
3. Think of ways to make one drink last longer (and therefore drink less alcohol). For example, you could have a wine spritzer instead of plain wine.
4. If you have concerns about the nutritional value of your diet, consider seeing a nutritionist.

And of course, pay attention to what you eat.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

As we learn more about the nutritional problems of people who drink alcohol, we will see more studies on ways to avoid or correct these problems. Newer nutritional therapies will be developed and studied, and these may help correct some of the nutritional deficiencies caused by heavy drinking.

In addition, I think we will see a backlash against new alcoholic energy drinks marketed to young people. These drinks are high in alcohol content and often are flavored. They are clearly geared to the young. More research needs to be done to determine the safety of these types of alcoholic drinks. Will drinks like this affect the quality of young people’s diets and affect their future health?

Much still needs to be done to understand the complex interactions among diet, alcohol and health.