Drinkers' Diet

If you are a regular drinker of alcoholic beverages, it is likely that alcohol will affect your regular diet and nutritional status. Alcohol provides calories, but can deplete other nutrients in the body, while also having a dehydrating or acidifying effect. If you feel your drinking is negatively affecting your overall health, do not hesitate to contact a medical professional for personalized advice and help.

Considerations

MayoClinic.com says alcohol has a dehydrating effect on your body, typically because it makes you urinate and sweat more than usual. Therefore, it is important to drink plenty of water or other hydrating fluids such as herbal tea to replace the fluids and electrolytes lost through alcohol's dehydrating effects. The average adult loses at least 10 cups of water each day, which need replacing. Drinking alcohol increases the amount of water needed to replace water loss.

Function

A study reported in the journal "Alcohol Research and Health" in 2003 says alcohol consumption may cause malnutrition in regular drinkers and alcoholics. This may occur either because a regular or habitual drinker may neglect to consume sufficient essential nutrients such as vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates, or because the alcohol itself can prevent proper absorption of these nutrients when they are consumed.

Expert Insight

A study published in the February 1989 issue of the "British Journal of Addiction" reported that alcohol consumption, in tandem with social factors, plays a part in determining a drinker's diet. Examining steady drinkers in the United Kingdom and also in Australia, the study found that drinkers living alone were more likely to eat less food and fewer meals overall. Additionally, it was found that drinkers of alcoholic spirits or liquor generally ate more meals than beer drinkers. These factors were found to influence the incidence of malnutrition or vitamin deficiencies among steady drinkers.

Prevention/Solution

Regular drinkers of alcohol are at an increased risk of deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals. To combat such deficiencies, drinkers may be advised to take vitamin supplements. The 2003 study in "Alcohol Research and Health" recommends vitamin A supplementation, while the U.K.-Australian study published in the "British Journal of Addiction" notes the importance of thiamine supplementation. Thiamine deficiency syndromes include Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Additionally, consumption of milk or antacids is recommended to neutralize acid in alcohol. Most alcoholic drinks, including wine and beer, are acidic.

Warning

Alcohol contributes calories to your diet without providing protein or many useful nutrients. As such, it is considered to be of minimal nutritional value. If you consume a significant amount of alcohol on a regular basis, it is likely that alcohol will contribute many calories to your daily intake total. If you routinely consume more calories than you expend in a day -- whether these come from alcohol or food -- you are likely to gain weight over time.