Including alcohol in your lifestyle may impact your nutrition. Depending on how much you drink, alcohol may substitute for nutrient-dense foods, which may eventually result in a deficiency of one or more nutrients. Water-soluble vitamins must be included in your daily diet, because your body generally does not store them for long periods of time. Vitamin B-12 is an exception -- your body stores enough of this vitamin to last you several years. However, you may still develop a B-12 deficiency if your diet is unhealthy over the long run. Consult with your health-care provider before adding a B-12 supplement to your diet.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is plentiful in animal-based foods, such as meats, milk products and fish. This vitamin is critical in forming healthy red blood cells and in synthesizing DNA, the reproductive machinery within your cells. It also keeps your nervous system healthy and functions as a co-factor for enzymes involved in protein and fat metabolism. When you consume foods containing vitamin B-12, your gastric juices release the vitamin, which then binds to a protein called intrinsic factor. Once vitamin B-12 combines with intrinsic factor, your body is able to absorb it through your small intestine. Certain disorders, including severe alcohol abuse, may result in low blood levels of vitamin B-12 either through insufficient intake or lack of absorption.
Anemia
A disorder known as pernicious anemia occurs when, for a variety of reasons, you become deficient in vitamin B-12. While the most common cause of pernicious anemia is a lack of intrinsic factor, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reports pernicious anemia may also result from alcoholism. In this case, the alcoholic's diet does not provide enough of this essential nutrient. Another type of anemia correlating with a vitamin B-12 deficiency and alcohol abuse is megaloblastic anemia. In megaloblastic anemia, your red blood cells are larger than normal and do not properly transport oxygen throughout your body.
Alcohol Consumption
In the November 2008 issue of "QJM: An International Journal of Medicine," researchers reported on the effect of alcohol on the plasma levels of homocysteine, folate and vitamin B-12 in healthy young males. After consuming either vodka or red wine every day for two weeks, subjects showed a marked decrease in blood levels of both folate and vitamin B-12. Although researchers speculate that this effect may be a combination of initial vitamin deficiency coupled with alcohol consumption, they also state the study subjects fell within the normal range of vitamin status before beginning the study.
Other Considerations
Vegetarians who strictly limit their consumption of fish or milk products, as well as vegans, may be at risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency. Other populations, including the elderly, may also develop a deficiency. Alcohol may increase your risk of a vitamin B-12 deficiency, particularly if you eat a poor diet.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Information About Alcohol
- Mayo Clinic: Vitamin B-12
- National Institutes of Health: Vitamin B-12
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Pernicious Anemia
- Medline Plus: Megaloblastic Anemia
- "QJM: An International Journal of Medicine"; Alcohol Increases Homocysteine and Reduces B Vitamin Concentration in Healthy Male Volunteers --- A Randomized, Crossover Intervention Study; A. Gibson et al.; November 2008
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