ALCOHOL INTAKE CORRELATED WITH SERUM TRACE ELEMENTS

Abstract

Alcohol intake and serum copper, selenium, magnesium, iron and zinc were investigated in 85 subjects, 48 males and 37 females. Alcohol intake was measured with a questionnaire probing alcohol intake during the preceding 30 days. Mean average daily intake among males was 119.7 g (range 0-622.3 g) and among females 32.1 g (range 0-378.5 g), and the mean consumption per drinking day among males was 208.5 g (range 0-666.7 g) and among females 63.8 g (range 0-63.8 g). Among males alcohol intake per drinking day correlated positively with serum copper (r = 0.50; P less than 0.001) and negatively with serum selenium (r = -0.49; P less than 0.001) and magnesium (r = 0.40; P less than 0.01). Likewise, among females alcohol intake per drinking day correlated positively with serum copper (r = 0.54; P less than 0.01) and negatively with serum magnesium (r = -0.36; P less than 0.05). Serum selenium concentration was negatively and significantly correlated with average daily intake (r = -0.34; P less than 0.05) but not with intake per drinking day. No significant correlations were found between alcohol intake and serum zinc or iron levels. Only two men, both abstainers, had abnormally low serum zinc level, and two other men (average daily alcohol intake less than 37 g) and two women (average daily alcohol intake less than 15 g) had abnormally high serum iron level. Alcohol intake was associated with high serum copper and low serum magnesium and selenium levels.