Alcohol binging and its consequences-New insight into protective component in red wine

Alcohol based drinks are increasingly being consumed world over whether to celebrate some events or drown the sorrow at a personal level. Though it is an intoxicating drink and governments in many countries tried to impose ban on its making and consumption, the so called "prohibition" policies never worked satisfactorily in an country so far. The debate regarding the beneficial aspects of alcohol consumption is a never ending one and many argue that moderate consumption can be health supporting. However there is near unanimity on the fact that too much consumption or addictive consumption can be injurious to health. It is well established that high intake of alcohol can cause liver cirrhosis and eventual death among many habitual drunkards. Also known is the fact that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to development of different types of cancers affecting head, neck, esophagus, breasts and colorectum, supposedly due to DNA and RNA damage at the cellular level. Recent reports that red wine, a good source of an antioxidant Resveratrol, can help the body to repair the damage caused by alcohol are creating some excitement among cancer therapists for evolving a workable therapy based on this phytochemical. Here is a gist of the report. 

""Alcohol bombards your genes," says Robert Sclafani, PhD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the CU School of Medicine. "Your body has ways to repair this damage, but with enough alcohol eventually some damage isn't fixed." The body metabolizes alcohol by converting it to acetyl aldehyde, then uses aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to further convert it to acetic acid, which is excreted. Acetyl aldehyde, a partially processed state of alcohol, is a carcinogen that produces DNA "cross links" that can cause cell death. If enough alcohol is consumed the body can end up with a backlog of acetyl aldehyde. Increased consumption of alcohol, loss of the ALDH gene that helps the body process alcohol, and loss of the ability to repair DNA cross links all result in increased cancer risk. However, Sclafani says there is something in red wine, that blocks the cancer-causing effect of alcohol and believes resveratrol, a natural chemical found in the skins of grapes and berries as well as in red wine and dark chocolate, is the prime candidate. The researchers found that resveratrol kills cells with unrepaired DNA damage so they can't go on to cause cancer. Growing evidence also suggests that resveratrol directly binds to DNA and RNA, activates antioxidant enzymes, prevents inflammation, and kills the cells with the most damage – the cells that have the highest probability of being able to cause cancer.  Before you take this news as carte blanche to quaff red wine by the bucketful, Sclafani warns that the resveratrol in red wine (and other chemopreventive chemicals found in grape seed extract) isn't a magic bullet that can completely undo the cancer-causing effects of alcohol. However, by killing the most dangerous cells it may decrease the probability that alcohol use will cause cancer. Interest in using natural compounds to fight cancer and other diseases has been growing in recent years. Resveratrol has also been linked to reduced risk for heart disease, a potential way to fight obesity and slowing down of the aging process."

Moderate consumption of alcohol does not cause accumulation of the intermediate metabolite from alcohol, viz acetyl aldehyde which has a tendency to produce DNA cross links leading to cell death and consequences there of. While qualitatively the above theory may sound realistic, how Resveratrol can be used in a form that can readily be delivered at the cellular level is of some concern. Absorption of many polyphenolic molecules with powerful antioxidant potential across the intestine is a matter that has to be considered if and when they are to be used in any therapeutic application. Resveratrol is also no exception to this absorption uncertainty. Incidentally this chemical is also being promoted as an anti-aging agent though no one knows precisely how it works in human body. There are many plant foods containing Resveratrol though Red wine is the most promising source.

V.H.POTTY
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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

ALCOHOL DRINKS-ACCOMPANIMENT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Alcohol drinks are very popular world over because of their intoxicating power when alcohol gets across to the blood stream. While the role of alcohol in affecting the health is debated for centuries, the present thinking seems to be that when moderately taken it can be advantageous for health. But alcohol, after all is an addictive and it becomes humanly impossible to control the intake, pushing many human beings into the category of habitual drunkards! Whether it is Wine, Beer or Vodka, effective level of alcohol that gets into the blood depends on how much of the drink is consumed. While the strong spirits like Vodka or Whiskey or Gin or Rum is taken with water or soda, lighter ones such as wine and beer are ingested straight being low in alcohol content. Alcohol is never considered as a source of calories by those who consume it regularly though it has a calorie content of 7 kC per gm but when these drinks are mixed with cold soda the gross calorie intake becomes quite significant. Another angle to alcohol drinking is whether it is taken on empty stomach or along with solid foods. According to some studies those ingesting alcohol admixed with diet soda might run the risk of getting inebriated faster and the alcohol appears in the breath in higher quantities compared to those who take it with normal soda. Here is a take on this controversial research which has been challenged by some scientists.    

"Cutting calories with diet soda may seem like a good idea -- as long as it's not at a bar. A new study released in the journal Alcoholism suggests that cutting alcoholic drinks with diet soda makes them more potent than using their full-calorie counterparts. Specifically, researchers found that mixing alcohol with diet (sugar-free) soft drinks resulted in a higher breath alcohol content than mixing alcohol with a regular (sugar-sweetened) soft drink. "The results were surprising," said Cecile A. Marczinski, assistant professor in the department of psychological science at Northern Kentucky University, and one of the lead investigators of the study. Researchers served one of three beverages: vodka added to a diet drink, vodka added to a regular drink or a regular soft drink with a vodka scent added so that participants would believe it was an alcoholic beverage. They then sat back while the subjects enjoyed their cocktails. Those participants drinking the vodka-diet drink cocktails had a significantly higher breath alcohol content and had the highest degree of behavioral impairment among the groups, the study found. "We are talking about significant differences here," Marczinski said. "Participants who drank diet soda with vodka had blood alcohol contents as high as 18 percent more than when sugar-containing mixers were used." The theory behind this is that sugar-containing drinks stimulate the stomach much like a meal does. Having some food in your stomach delays stomach emptying, thus delaying absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. The result is that drinkers get a less-potent hit of alcohol in their systems after drinking. "This is why southern European countries have lower rates of alcoholism despite their increased alcohol intake," said Petros Levounis, director of the Addiction Institute of New York, who was not involved in the study. "They always drink while eating."

Traditionally in many countries alcoholic drinks are taken with light foods like snacks and even if water is used as a diluent, presence of food in the stomach makes the process of absorption slower, taking quite some time before presence of alcohol is detectable in the breath. Also it is a common perception among those drinking alcohol that without food accompaniment alcohol can damage the stomach membrane to varying extent. What ever be the truth, one thing is sure and that is not to take alcohol with out any food accompaniment. Also true is that the pace at which alcohol drink is consumed must be slow to reduce its impact on the metabolic system. Fortunately alcohol drinks are served usually along with foods in most bars and invariably food intake is more on such occasions!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

RISKS OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS-WILL THE PROPOSED LABEL WARNING HELP?

Is alcohol drinking dangerous? The answer may be yes and no! If imbibed in moderate quantity it may not be so harmful but excess consumption can lead to undesirable heath consequences. The effect of alcohol in inebriating the consumer is well known and those who need a clear head for undertaking some of the tasks like driving are barred from drinking before the work. However drinking by pregnant women is considered risky in many ways and therefore not advised by doctors. Pregnant women continuing to drink alcohol may be causing the child a lot of harm, the most widely acknowledged being the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome ( FSA). A child born to a mother indulging in drinking alcohol frequently during the pregnancy period can have physical disabilities, mental disabilities, abnormal facial features, growth deficiency, problems with central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. In spite of enormous knowledge generated on the ill effects of alcohol consumption 1 in 8 pregnant women is reported to be indulging in this dangerous practice, probably in some of the western countries. The initiative in Australia to print cautionary graphical icons on the label to persuade abstinence from alcohol by pregnant women is laudatory worth emulating by other countries too.  

"Alcohol consumption may therefore be a contributing factor to overweight and obesity." The ministers noted there were concerns that body-conscious Australians -- young women especially -- might start skipping meals to "allow for alcohol intake". Food Standards Australia will investigate the issue and report back to ministers. Health bureaucrats have also been asked to advise the ministers on the "efficacy" of extending the pregnancy warning to a generic message about the hazards of over-imbibing. "Alcohol is legally defined as a food but is also considered a drug . . . (it) has been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancers, injury and crime," the report says. Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Catherine King said the National Health and Medical Research Council had concluded there was no "safe" level of alcohol consumption for pregnant women. "There is now substantial evidence about foetal alcohol syndrome," she said. Alcohol damage to the foetus is the most common cause of non-hereditary mental retardation, and the NHMRC advises women who are pregnant or breastfeeding that "not drinking is the safest option". Lion Nathan, the brewer of the top-selling XXXX and Tooheys beer brands, has already agreed to voluntarily print a warning on its labels. And the Winemakers' Federation of Australia is encouraging its members to use a "pictogram" with a red line over the symbol of a pregnant women."

Generally alcohol drinking is considered a taboo among some cultures though many modern day youngsters ignore such sentiments because social compulsions. The controversy surrounding the beneficial effect of moderate alcohol consumption refuses to die down and many dispassionate observers feel that the negative impact of alcohol drinking outweighs any perceived positive effects and this calls for total abstinence from alcohol by human beings whatever may the pretext.  What is definite is drinking beyond 2 servings a day ( 140-210 gm for week for a man and 84-140 gm for a woman), can be catastrophic in the long run. It is reported that alcohol is responsible for one in twenty five deaths reported around the world. Higher levels of alcohol in the body can be a causative factor in many health related problems like persistent alcoholism, CVD, nutrient mal- absorption across the intestine, chronic pancreatitis, alcoholic liver disease, CNS damage etc. Considering these facts why not insist on making "alcohol warnings" compulsory for all all alcoholic beverages, just like that enforced on cigarette packing? Probably WHO must consider recommending this eminent suggestion to its member countries.  

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com