Type Of Alcoholic Beverage Research Articles

Differences in Associations of Three Types of Alcoholic Beverages with Age-Related Cognitive Decline in Men

Objectives: To investigate the influence of wine, beer, and spirits consumption, respectively, on non-pathological, age-related cognitive decline from young adulthood to late midlife in a large follow-up study of Danish men. Methods: The study includes 2456 middle-aged Danish men from the Lifestyle and Cognition Follow-up study 2015, with information on adult-life consumption (from age 26) of wine, beer, and spirits self-reported in late midlife and age-related cognitive decline assessed using the same validated intelligence test administered in young adulthood and late midlife. Associations were adjusted for consumption of other alcoholic beverages, year of birth, age at follow-up, retest interval, education, young adulthood intelligence, and personality. Results: Most of the men had wine (48%) or beer (42%) as their preferred beverage type. For all three alcoholic beverages, consumption of more than 14 units weekly was associated with a greater decline in unadjusted analyses, but this trend was only significant for wine. In contrast, adjusted models showed that moderate wine and spirits consumption was associated with less decline than abstention for these alcohol types (p = 0.03 for 8–14 units/week of wine and p = 0.03 for 1–7 units/week of spirits). Statistical tests suggested a difference between the estimated effects of consumption of 8–14 units/week of wine and beer on cognitive decline. Conclusions: While patterns of associations were similar across beverages, moderate wine and spirits consumption may mitigate cognitive decline, in contrast with beer. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to inherent differences between men with different alcoholic beverage preferences.

Moderate India Pale Ale beer consumption promotes antigenotoxic and non-mutagenic effects in ex vivo and in vivo mice models.

Discussion of the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption is ongoing. Broadly, research focusing on ethanol consumption tends to report no benefits. However, studies that distinguish between different types of alcoholic beverages, particularly beers, often reveal positive effects. The present study evaluated the genotoxic and mutagenic effects of moderate chronic consumption of India Pale Ale (IPA) craft beer. Sixty-four adult male Swiss mice were used and divided into control and treatment groups receiving water, IPA beer with 55.23 g of ethanol per liter of beer, aqueous solution with 55.23 g of ethanol per liter, and hop infusion ad libitum for 30 days. After this period, the animals were genetically evaluated with a comet assay. For the ex vivo comet assay, blood was collected and exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). For the in vivo assay, the alkylating agent cyclophosphamide (CP) was administered to the groups after blood collection and sacrificed after 24 h. Brain, liver, and heart tissues were analyzed. Bone marrow was collected and submitted to the micronucleus test. The groups treated with IPA beer, ethanol, and hops did not show genotoxic and mutagenic action in the blood, brain, heart, or liver. The antigenotoxic action of IPA beer and hops was observed in both in vivo and ex vivo models, showing a similar reduction in DNA damage caused by CP. There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to the formation of micronuclei by CP. Moderate chronic consumption of IPA beer and hops infusion showed antigenotoxic effects in mice but no antimutagenic action. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Association between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease: A prospective cohort study.

In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in comprehending the impact of alcohol consumption on adverse health outcomes. However, the quality of evidence remains limited. Our objective was to conduct a prospective study examining the relationship between different types of alcoholic beverages and the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and identifying the thresholds of safe dose stratified by sex using data from the UK Biobank. 502,490 participants were enrolled. These participants were initially registered between 2006 and 2010, and underwent reassessment between 2012 and 2013. All participants completed a detailed questionnaire on their alcohol consumption, including total alcohol consumption yesterday, weekly consumption of red wine, champagne plus white wine, beer, spirits, and fortified wine. All-cause mortality and the incidence of CVD and CKD were considered as the primary outcomes. 2852 participants reported CKD during a median follow-up period of 11.94 years, while 79,958 participants reported CVD over a median follow-up period of 11.35 years. Additionally, 18,923 participants died over a median follow-up period of 11.89 years. After adjusting for variables such as age, sex, education level, smoking status, diet score, and exercise score, total alcohol consumption showed a U-shaped relationship with the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality, but showed an inverse association with the risk of CKD. Upon further classification of alcoholic beverages, our analysis revealed that red wine, champagne plus white wine, beer, spirits, and fortified wine presented a U-shaped relationship with the risk of all-cause mortality and CKD. However, spirits were positively associated with the risk of CVD, only red wine, champagne plus white wine, beer, and fortified wine showed a U-shaped relationship with the risk of CVD. The safe doses of total alcohol consumption should be < 11 g/d for males and < 10 for females, red wine consumption should be < 7 glasses/week for males and < 6 for females, champagne plus white wine consumption should be < 5 glasses/week, and fortified wine consumption should be < 4 glasses/week. Red wine, champagne plus white wine, beer, and fortified wine below the corresponding thresholds of safe dose in our analysis were significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, CVD, and CKD. And these alcoholic beverages under safe doses exhibited a protective effect against conditions like diabetes, depression, dementia, epilepsy, liver cirrhosis, and other digestive diseases, while didn't increase the risk of cancer.

Classifying national drinking patterns in Europe between 2000 and 2019: A clustering approach using comparable exposure data.

Previously identified national drinking patterns in Europe lack comparability and might be no longer be valid due to changes in economic conditions and policy frameworks. We aimed to identify the most recent alcohol drinking patterns in Europe based on comparable alcohol exposure indicators using a data-driven approach, as well as identifying temporal changes and establishing empirical links between these patterns and indicators of alcohol-related harm. Data from the World Health Organization's monitoring system on alcohol exposure indicators were used. Repeated cross-sectional hierarchical cluster analyses were applied. Differences in alcohol-attributable harm between clusters of countries were analyzed via linear regression. European Union countries, plus Iceland, Norway and Ukraine, for 2000, 2010, 2015 and 2019. Observations consisted of annual country data, at four different time points for alcohol exposure. Harm indicators were only included for 2019. Alcohol exposure indicators included alcohol per capita consumption (APC), beverage-specific consumption and prevalence of drinking status indicators (lifetime abstainers, current drinkers, former drinkers and heavy episodic drinking). Alcohol-attributable harm was measured using age-standardized alcohol-attributable Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost and deaths per 100 000 people. The same six clusters were identified in 2019, 2015 and 2010, mainly characterized by type of alcoholic beverage and prevalence drinking status indicators, with geographical interpretation. Two-thirds of the countries remained in the same cluster over time, with one additional cluster identified in 2000, characterized by low APC. The most recent drinking patterns were shown to be significantly associated with alcohol-attributable deaths and DALY rates. Compared with wine-drinking countries, the mortality rate per 100 000 people was significantly higher in Eastern Europe with high spirits and 'other' beverage consumption [ = 90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 55-126], and in Eastern Europe with high lifetime abstainers and high spirits consumption ( = 42, 95% CI = 4-78). European drinking patterns appear to be clustered by level of beverage-specific consumption, with heavy episodic drinkers, current drinkers and lifetime abstainers being distinguishing factors between clusters. Despite the overall stability of the clusters over time, some countries shifted between drinking patterns from 2000 to 2019. Overall, patterns of drinking in the European Union seem to be stable and partly determined by geographical proximity.

“Reagent-free determination of γ-butyrolactone in beverages”

A green partial least square (PLS) attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) method has been developed for the prediction of the γ-butyrolactone (GBL) in all type of soft and alcoholic beverages. The method involves the use of a drop (less than 5 µL) of sample and a single calibration model based on aqueous and alcoholic solutions of GBL and beverages free from GBL. A selected wavenumber range from 1225 to 1171 cm−1 and from 999 to 972 cm−1 of the second derivative (SD) spectra of samples and standards were employed. The validation set provided root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of the order of 300 µg g−1 GBL with a ratio of standard error of performance to standard deviation value (RPD) of 13.4. The prediction of unknown samples not considered in the calibration nor in the validation sets offered accuracy relative errors between −1.0 and 2.9 % GBL. The proposed PLS-FTIR based method allows a fast and direct determination of GBL in all type of beverages, in less than 2 min and avoiding the use of neither reagents nor solvents, without any sample treatment required, being in agreement with the principles of Green Analytical Chemistry.

Qualitative and Quantitative Metabolite Comparison of Korean Traditional Alcoholic Beverages: Takju, Yakju, and Traditional-Soju.

With increasing interest in Korean foods and beverages, Korean traditional alcoholic beverages need to be studied. To characterize Korean traditional alcoholic beverages, we analyzed the metabolites of Takju, Yakju, and Traditional-Soju using 48 commercial products. We performed non-targeted metabolite profiling using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and identified 33 significantly discriminant metabolites, including nine organic acids, three amino acids, and seven fatty acids, in the three types of alcoholic beverage. Subsequently, we quantified the profiled metabolites in each product and compared their contents to identify alcoholic beverage type-specific metabolites. Thus, we figured out seven metabolites using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The results revealed that octadecanoic acid (limit of detection (LOD) to 168.72 mg/L), nonanoic acid (LOD to 112.54 mg/L), and octanoic acid (8.00 to 145.08 mg/L) in Takju; succinic acid (LOD to 1.90 mg/mL), heptanoic acid (LOD to 343.23 mg/L), and hexadecanoic acid (20.28 to 126.45 mg/L) in Yakju; and malonic acid (LOD to 19.13 mg/mL) in Traditional-Soju, with an area under the curve (AUC) > 0.7, are important metabolites that can distinguish the type of alcoholic beverage. Our results provide qualitative and quantitative metabolite information about Korean traditional alcoholic beverages that can be used by consumers and manufacturers.

Sweet liking predicts liking and familiarity of some alcoholic beverages, but not alcohol intake: A population study using a split-sample approach

Sweetness has been proposed to be an important quality in the decision to consume alcohol, and strong preferences for sweet tastes have been associated with alcohol abuse. However, alcohol is characterized by a number of other sensory properties, including astringency and bitterness that may drive preference and consumption. Spinelli et al. (2021) classified individuals into three sweet-sensory liking clusters (High Sweet-Liking, Moderate Sweet-Liking, and Inverted-U) that differed in their sweetness optima and sensory-liking patterns (relationship between liking and sweetness, bitterness and astringency perception in a food model). The current paper replicates the sweet sensory-liking clusters in a new set of participants (n = 1976), and extends the predicted value of these clusters examining their relationship to wine and other types of alcoholic beverages by gender using a split-sample approach on a total of over 3000 adults. The sweet sensory-liking clusters had a predictive relationship for the familiarity and liking of some alcoholic beverages characterized by stronger tastes, but not weekly alcohol intake levels. Thus, although sweet sensory-liking clusters may be associated with the type of beverages and frequency with which a person will drink and enjoy a type of alcoholic beverage, they are poor predictors of the quantity of alcohol that a person ingests over the course of a week.

Alcoholic beverage types consumed by population subgroups in the United States: Implications for alcohol policy to address health disparities.

We aimed to identify alcoholic beverage types more likely to be consumed by demographic subgroups with greater alcohol-related health risk than others, mainly individuals with low socio-economic status, racial/ethnic minority status and high drinking levels. Fractional logit modelling was performed using a nationally representative sample of US adult drinkers (analytic N = 37,657) from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Waves 2 (2004-2005) and 3 (2012-2013). The outcomes were the proportions of pure alcohol consumed as beer, wine, liquor and coolers (defined as wine-/malt-/liquor-based coolers, hard lemonade, hard cider and any prepackaged cocktails of alcohol and mixer). Adults with lower education and low or medium income were more likely to drink beer, liquor and coolers, while those with a 4-year college/advanced degree and those with high income preferred wine. Excepting Asian adults, racial/ethnic minority adults were more likely to drink beer (Hispanics) and liquor (Blacks), compared with White adults. High- or very-high-level drinkers were more likely to consume liquor and beer and less likely to consume wine (and coolers), compared with low-level drinkers. High-level and very-high-level drinkers, who were less than 10% of all drinkers, consumed over half of the total volume of beer, liquor and coolers consumed by all adults. Individuals with low socio-economic status, racial/ethnic minority status or high drinking level prefer liquor and beer. As alcohol taxes, sales and marketing practices all are beverage-specific, targeted approaches to reduce consumption of these beverages, particularly among individuals with these profiles, are warranted.

Development and standardization of Indian Alcohol Photo Stimuli (IAPS) for cue-reactivity paradigms in patients with alcohol use disorder.

The availability of appropriate alcohol-related stimuli is a crucial concern for the evaluation and treatment of patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. The study aimed to standardize alcohol-related images with cultural relevance to the Indian setting. We produced an extensive database of 203 pictures, the Indian Alcohol Photo Stimuli (IAPS), portraying different categories and types of alcoholic beverages, after removing the confounding effects of low-level stimulus parameters (e.g. brightness and blurriness). Thirty patients with alcohol dependence syndrome, currently abstinent, rated each image on visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no craving) to 10 (extreme), to determine how typical the stimuli served as craving-relevant stimuli. The mean VAS scores across beverages (ordered from highest to lowest) were whiskey >rum >beer >wine >vodka. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference in mean VAS scores across beverages (F = 2.93, df = 2.9/86.3, P = 0.039, Greenhouse-Geisser corrected); the effect size for the difference was small (ηp2 = 0.092). A post hoc Bonferroni shows significantly higher VAS scores with whiskey compared with vodka (P = 0.029), whereas the scores were similar across other beverages. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA for interaction between type of alcoholic beverages and activity was not significant (F = 2.67, df = 2.6/76.6, P = 0.061, Greenhouse-Geisser corrected). We created a standardized alcohol-related image database for studying cue-reactivity paradigms in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Further research is needed to validate the impact of image features on cue reactivity.

АНАЛИЗ И СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ АКЦИЗНОЙ ПОЛИТИКИ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ В ОТНОШЕНИИ АЛКОГОЛЬНОЙ ПРОДУКЦИИ

The article analyses the measures of the state anti-alcohol policy of modern Russia in the field of taxation and assessment of their impact on the receipt of excise taxes in the budget of the Russian Federation and the level of consumption of alcoholic beverages by the adult population of the country. Particular attention is paid to the study of the excise policy of the Russian Federation in relation to alcoholic beverages. Excise taxation is one of the effective instruments of state regulation of the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The purpose of the study is, based on the analysis, to develop recommendations for changing excise tax rates on various types of alcoholic products to enhance the fiscal potential of excise taxes and regulate alcohol consumption by the country's population. The study was carried out using methods of systematic comparative analysis of domestic and foreign literature and statistical data, as well as generalization and synthesis. It highlights the structure and dynamics of excise tax revenues to the budget of the Russian Federation by type of alcoholic beverages. It also considers restrictive measures relating to the production, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Russia, as well as options for tax support for domestic producers of low-alcohol drinks. A study of the dynamics of the volume and structure of consumption of alcoholic beverages by the population showed the high effectiveness of government regulatory measures, including excise taxation instruments. However, despite the identified reduction, the level of alcohol consumption by the population of the Russian Federation remains high, which raises the need to improve excise policy in the field of taxation of alcoholic products. The increase in excise tax rates on strong alcohol and a change in the method of levying excise tax on beer proposed by the authors will ensure annual additional excise tax revenues to the budget, will lead to a reduction in the consumption of alcoholic beverages and a shift in consumer preferences towards low-alcohol drinks that cause less harm to human health.

A State-of-the-Science Review of Alcoholic Beverages and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

The association between alcohol and certain cancers is well established, yet beyond ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde, little is known about the presence of other carcinogenic compounds in alcoholic beverages, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as benzo[a]pyrene (a Group I carcinogen). We summarized the published literature on PAH levels in alcoholic beverages to identify potential gaps in knowledge to inform future research. Medline and Scopus were searched for primary research published from January 1966 to November 2023 that quantified PAH levels among various types of alcoholic beverages, including whisky, rum, brandy, gin, vodka, wine, and beer. Studies that were not primary literature were excluded; only studies that quantified PAH content in the specified alcoholic beverages were included. Ten studies published from 1966 to 2019 met the criteria for review. Other than beverage type, no publication reported selection criteria for their samples of tested alcohol products. Studies used a variety of analytical methods to detect PAHs. Of the 10 studies, 7 were published after 2000, and 6 assessed products. Of the studies, 7 examined spirits; 3, beer; and 4, wines. Benzo[a]pyrene was most prevalent among spirit products, particularly whisky, with values generally exceeding acceptable levels for drinking water. Some beer and wine products also contained PAHs, albeit at lower levels and less frequently than spirit products. PAHs are found in some alcohol products and appear to vary by beverage type. However, there is an incomplete understanding of their presence and levels among large, representative samples from the range of currently available alcohol products. Addressing this gap could improve understanding of alcohol-cancer relationships and may have important implications for public health and the regulation of alcohol products. In addition, novel methods, such as direct mass spectroscopy, may facilitate more thorough testing of samples to further investigate this relationship. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13506.

An investigation into patterns of Alcohol drinking in Scotland after the introduction of minimum unit pricing.

In 2018, Scotland became the second country to implement minimum unit pricing (MUP) for all types of alcoholic beverages. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the policy. Three national household-level surveys were used: Scottish Health Surveys (2008-2021), Health Surveys in England (2011-2019), and Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey (2011-2015). First, a generalized ordered logistic model examined patterns of drinking solely in Scotland from 2008-2021 covering current drinking, drinking categories and the weekly consumption (in alcohol units). Secondly, difference-in-difference (DID) analysis was employed to examine changes in "social drinking" behaviours in Scotland after the announcement in 2012 (2011-2015, Northern Ireland and England as comparators) and after the adoption of the policy in 2018 (England as a comparator, with two timeframes 2016-2019 and 2013-2019). Overall, drinking in Scotland began to decline prior to 2012 and dropped further with the enactment of MUP in 2018. In response to MUP, the likelihood of abstention increased along with a slight decrease in the prevalence of heavy drinking. The overall amount of drinking fell by about 8% after 2012 and 12% after 2018 (as compared to 2008-2011 level), with a significant decline seen in moderate drinkers but not of those who drank at hazardous or harmful levels. The DID analyses confirmed the reduction in current drinking in Scotland starting since 2012 and continued post-MUP in 2018. This study points to the impact of MUP in Scotland with a potential role for 'policy signalling' by the Scottish Government's with a multiple-buy discount ban and MUP's announcement since 2011-2012. Indications of impact include a clear decline in alcohol consumption levels and a small but noteworthy change in prevalence of overall drinking and heavy drinking.

Estimating the Effects of Hypothetical Alcohol Minimum Unit Pricing Policies on Alcohol Use and Deaths: A State Example.

Alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP) policies establish a floor price beneath which alcohol cannot be sold. The potential effectiveness of MUP policies for reducing alcohol-attributable deaths in the United States has not been quantitatively assessed. Therefore, this study estimated the effects of two hypothetical distilled spirits MUP policies on alcohol sales, consumption, and alcohol-attributable deaths in one state. The International Model of Alcohol Harms and Policies tool was used to estimate the effects of two hypothetical MUP per standard drink policies (40-cent and 45-cent) pertaining to distilled spirits products at off-premises alcohol outlets in Michigan during 2020. Prevalence estimates on drinking patterns among Michigan adults were calculated by sex and age group. Prices per standard drink and sales of 9,747 spirits products were analyzed using National Alcohol Beverage Control Association data. Analyses accounted for other alcoholic beverage type sales using cross-price elasticities. Increasing the MUP of the 3.5% of spirits with the lowest prices per standard drink to 40 cents could reduce total alcohol per capita consumption in Michigan by 2.6% and prevent 232 (5.3%) alcohol-attributable deaths annually. A 45-cent MUP would affect 8.0% of the spirits and reduce total alcohol per capita consumption by 3.9%, preventing 354 (8.1%) deaths. Modestly increasing the prices of the lowest-priced spirits with an MUP policy in a single state could save hundreds of lives annually. This suggests that alcohol MUP policies could be an effective strategy for improving public health in the United States, consistent with the World Health Organization's recommendation.

Drinking patterns, alcoholic beverage types, and esophageal cancer risk in Africa: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Africa is the continent most affected by esophageal cancer in the world. Alcoholic beverages are controversially blamed, as esophageal cancer is a rare disease in several other countries ranked in the top 10 for consumption of alcoholic beverages. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive systematic review of published literature, statistically summarizing the strength of the association between drinking patterns and types, and the risk of esophageal cancer in Africa. A computerized search of reputable databases such as Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and African Journals Online was performed to identify relevant studies published up to September 2023. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for case-control studies and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality tool for cross-sectional studies. A funnel plot and Egger test were utilized to assess potential publication bias. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models with RevMan 5.3 and Stata software to estimate summary effects. The systematic review identified a total of 758,203 studies, primarily from Eastern and Southern Africa. The pooled samples across all studies comprised 29,026 individuals, including 11,237 individuals with cancer and 17,789 individuals without cancer. Meta-analysis revealed a significant association between alcohol consumption and the risk of esophageal cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-2.19). Further analysis based on the frequency of alcoholic beverage consumption indicated a stronger association with daily (OR = 2.38; 95% CI, 1.81-3.13) and weekly (OR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.32-2.84) drinkers in contrast to occasional drinkers (OR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.81-1.29). Additionally, consumption of traditional alcoholic beverages was significantly associated with the risk of esophageal cancer in African populations (OR = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.42-2.82). However, no relationship has been established between the exclusive consumption of non-traditional drinks and the risk of esophageal cancer. In conclusion, the results of this study confirm the hypothesis that daily and weekly drinking patterns, significantly increase the risk of esophageal cancer in Africa, while occasional consumption does not show a significant association. Additionally, the consumption of traditional alcoholic beverages is notably linked to the risk of esophageal cancer in African populations.

Exclusive liquor and cocktail consumption is associated with at-risk fibrosis among nonheavy alcohol users with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol consumption have both increased in recent years, and there is debate as to whether nonheavy alcohol use is safe in MASLD. We analyzed the association between different nonheavy alcohol use patterns and at-risk liver fibrosis among individuals with MASLD. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1072 eligible National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants with MASLD who reported nonheavy alcohol consumption. We used vibration-controlled transient elastography to define the primary outcome of at-risk liver fibrosis as >8.2 kPa (stage F2-F4). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association of different alcohol consumption patterns (average drinks/day, drinking days/week, weekly alcohol intake, type of alcoholic beverage) and at-risk hepatic fibrosis, controlling for demographic/socioeconomic, lifestyle/dietary, and metabolic risk factors. Exclusive liquor or cocktail drinkers had a 5.02-fold odds of at-risk fibrosis (95% CI: 1.15-21.95) compared with non-drinkers when controlling for potential confounders. While consuming an average of 2 drinks/day, ≥3 drinking days/week, or 1-3 drinks/week appeared to have a lower association with at-risk fibrosis when controlling for demographic/socioeconomic risk factors, the association was not present after controlling for lifestyle/dietary and metabolic risk factors. There is an association between exclusive liquor/cocktail consumption and at-risk liver fibrosis in patients with MASLD who report nonheavy alcohol consumption.

Abstract 14327: Association Between Alcohol Intake and Incidence of Heart Failure With and Without Reduced Ejection Fraction Among Participants of the VA Million Veteran Program

Introduction: Little is known about the relation of total alcohol intake and beverage types on risk of heart failure (HF). This study aims to examine the relation between amount of alcohol consumed and type of alcohol with risk for HF including subtypes [heart failure with reduced (HFrEF) and preserved (HFpEF) ejection fraction] in a large cohort of US Veterans. Methods: The study cohort included 329,543 Million Veteran Program participants who completed a baseline and lifestyle survey. Subjects with prevalent HF at baseline and incomplete alcohol information were excluded. Moderate alcohol intake was defined as consuming 12-24 g/day for men and 12g/day for women. We used ICD-9-10 codes and EF to define HFpEF and HFrEF. The associations between alcohol intake, beverage preference, and incidence of HFpEF and HFrEF were assessed using Cox proportional hazard model (CPHM) adjusted for age, sex, race, body mass index, cigarette smoking, education, exercise, diet, baseline prevalence of high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, statin use and atrial fibrillation. Results: Mean age was 65 years and 91.4% were men. With mean follow-up of 4.5 years, we observed 20,694 incident HF events (6078 HFrEF and 4531 HFpEF). The CPHM showed J shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and HF risk. Compared to never drinkers, adjusted HRs (95% CI) for HF were 0.89 (0.85, 0.95), 0.85 (0.79,0.91), 0.80 (0.74, 0.86), 0.80 (0.72, 0.88), 0.93 (0.84, 1.04) and 1.03(0.95, 1.12) for categories of current drinkers of ≤6 g/d, &gt;6-12 g/d, &gt;12-24g/d, &gt;24-36g/d, &gt;36-48 g/d and heavy drinking (&gt; 48 g/d)/alcohol use disorder, respectively. We found a similar association pattern between alcohol intake and risk of HFpEF and HFrEF (Fig). There was no difference in alcohol preference and HF risk among light and moderate drinkers. Conclusion: Light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart failure irrespective of subtypes.

Traditional and common millet-based food recipes of the tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract BACKGROUND: Millets have been cultivated in Arunachal Pradesh for generations, vital to the state's food security and dietary practices. Preserving and promoting culinary traditions not only benefits the local communities but also contributes to the global movement towards a more sustainable and diverse food future. The present study aims to document the common millets based food recipes traditionally prepared in Arunachal Pradesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The millet-based food recipes were documented from the ethnic tribal people. This study documented different types of millet-based recipes including millet type, ingredients, recipe type, method of preparation, recipe name in the local languages, and nutritional benefits of millet recipes. RESULTS: The study documented 11 types of millet-based food recipes from the ethnic tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, such as Adi, Apatani, Nyishi, Monpa, and Idu Mishmi. Finger millet is predominantly used to prepare food recipes followed by sorghum and kodo millet. Various ingredients, including local vegetables, milk, egg, ghee, coconut, sugar, etc., are used along with millet flour for food preparation. Various types of cooking techniques, such as steaming, frying, and boiling, have been adopted to prepare these dishes. Apong, a type of alcoholic beverage commonly served during tribal festivals in Arunachal Pradesh, is the most common item prepared mostly with rice and finger millet. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that various millet-based food recipes are used by local tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.

Detrimental Effects of Alcohol on the Heart: Hypertension and Cardiomyopathy.

Epidemiological evidence suggests a J-shaped association between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular mortality, with higher cardiovascular event rates occurring among abstainers and heavy drinkers compared to moderate consumers. However, this hypothesis has been challenged by more recent studies. Furthermore, ethnicity, gender, type of alcoholic beverage, and pattern of alcohol intake, influence the relationship between alcohol and heart health. We undertook a review of the relavent literature utilizing PubMed. Heavy alcohol consumption causes resistant hypertension, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, hemorrhagic strokes, as well as hepatic cirrhosis and pancreatitis. Excessive drinking is the third most preventable cause of death worldwide behind hypertension and smoking. In this review, we discuss the effects of alcohol abuse on hypertension (a major cause of myocardial infarction and stroke) and alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Another article in this Special Issue "Alcohol and Heart Health" discusses the problem with alcohol and arrhythmias sudden cardiac death.

Evaluating the environmental performance of mezcal production in Michoacán, México: A life cycle assessment approach

PurposeThe purpose of this work is to evaluate the environmental impacts of mezcal production from Agave cupreata in Michoacán, México. The central question is the influence of management options for vinasse, bagasse, and biomass energy.MethodsThe study was conducted using life cycle assessment (LCA) based on the conceptual framework of ISO 14040, guidelines of ISO 14044, and material and energy flow analysis, in a cradle-to-gate approach. The functional unit considered is a packaged mezcal of 0.75 ls produced in compliance with the official Mexican standard for this type of alcoholic beverage. Site measurements were conducted at two agave processing facilities, and descriptive surveys were carried out in collaboration with local producers. Related ecoefficiency indicators were evaluated and shown in a transparent and reproducible way. Environmental impact categories such as global warming potential (GWP), fine particulate matter formation (PMFP), freshwater eutrophication (FEP), and cumulative energy demand (CED) were calculated.ResultsThe results indicate that bioenergy is 87% of the cumulative energy for production. The main source of impacts from the PMFP category was the distillation process (50%). The vinasse contribution is around 60.4% for the FEP category. Bagasse’s contribution to the GWP category is around 22.7%. Even though carbon dioxide produced from biomass is considered biogenic, the overall impact is still significant due to the presence of other compounds such as methane. We also evaluate barriers to the implementation of alternative waste management technologies for bagasse and vinasse.ConclusionsFrom this study, it is concluded that biomass energy plays a crucial role in the sustainable manufacturing of mezcal.

Moderate alcohol consumption, types of beverages and drinking pattern with cardiometabolic biomarkers in three cohorts of US men and women.

Underlying mechanisms of the inverse relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and cardiometabolic disorders are unclear. Modification by types of alcoholic beverages consumed and drinking pattern remains understudied. We aimed to provide insight into the mechanisms by examining 14 insulinemic/glycemic, inflammatory and lipid markers. We used cross-sectional data from 15,436 women in the Nurses' Health Study, 19,318 women in the Nurses' Health Study II, and 6872 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate the percentage differences in biomarker concentrations according to alcohol intakes. The average alcohol intake in the combined cohort was 3.3 servings/week. We found a 1 serving/d increment in alcohol intake (14g ethanol, 44 ml liquor or 355 ml beer or 118 ml wine per day) was associated with a 0.6% lower level of HbA1c, 1.7-3.6% lower proinflammatory markers and 4.2% higher adiponectin, as well as 7.1% higher HDL-cholesterol and 2.1% lower triglyceride with a significant linear trend. Wine, especially red wine, was associated with lower inflammation in particular. Beer had weaker favorable to null associations with blood lipids and adiponectin. Liquor was associated with higher C-peptide and interleukin-6, yet equally associated with lower HbA1c and higher HDL-cholesterol as other beverages. Drinking 3 days or more per week was related to a better biomarker profile than nonregular drinking independent of intake levels. Drinking appeared to have similar associations irrespective whether done with meals or not. Our data indicated moderate alcohol intake, especially if consumed from wine and done regularly, was associated with favorable profiles of insulinemic/glycemic and inflammatory markers and blood lipids.