Beer Intake Research Articles

Wine and beer within a moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher levels of HDL-c and adiponectin

The scientific evidence available on the association between moderate alcohol intake and levels of blood cardiometabolic markers is still inconsistent and difficult to interpret for future disease prevention. However, we hypothesize that moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with lower levels of inflammation markers and higher levels of protective cardiometabolic markers. Thus, this work aimed to examine the associations of moderate alcohol intake and the type of alcoholic beverage with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. An observational, cross-sectional study including 143 apparently healthy adults 55 years of age and older was performed. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on alcoholic beverage intake frequency, food frequency, physical activity, socioeconomic status, diseases and medications, and other health-related habits. Three groups were established prior to recruitment: (1) abstainers and occasional consumers (ABS, n = 54); (2) beer consumers (BEER ≥80% of total alcohol intake; n = 40), and (3) mixed beverage consumers (MIXED; n = 49). Univariate analysis of variance models, adjusted for confounding factors and covariables, were performed. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and sP-selectin were significantly higher in the MIXED group than in the ABS group, and adiponectin was higher in the MIXED group compared to the BEER group. All alcohol consumers also had higher mean platelet volume values compared to ABS. In linear regression analyses, HDL-c, sP-selectin, and adiponectin were positively associated with wine intake (g/d) (P < .001, P = .014, and P = .017, respectively); and mean platelet volume, with beer intake (P = .017). In conclusion, this cross-sectional study showed that moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher levels of HDL-c and adiponectin compared to those in abstainers, which are mainly explained by wine intake.

Alcohol consumption and lung cancer risk: A pooled analysis from the International Lung Cancer Consortium and the SYNERGY study

BackgroundThere is inadequate evidence to determine whether there is an effect of alcohol consumption on lung cancer risk. We conducted a pooled analysis of data from the International Lung Cancer Consortium and the SYNERGY study to investigate this possible association by type of beverage with adjustment for other potential confounders. MethodsTwenty one case-control studies and one cohort study with alcohol-intake data obtained from questionnaires were included in this pooled analysis (19,149 cases and 362,340 controls). Adjusted odds ratios (OR) or hazard ratios (HR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for each measure of alcohol consumption. Effect estimates were combined using random or fixed-effects models where appropriate. Associations were examined for overall lung cancer and by histological type. ResultsWe observed an inverse association between overall risk of lung cancer and consumption of alcoholic beverages compared to non-drinkers, but the association was not monotonic. The lowest risk was observed for persons who consumed 10–19.9 g/day ethanol (OR vs. non-drinkers = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.91), where 1 drink is approximately 12–15 g. This J-shaped association was most prominent for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The association with all lung cancer varied little by type of alcoholic beverage, but there were notable differences for SCC. We observed an association with beer intake (OR for ≥20 g/day vs nondrinker = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.90). ConclusionsWhether the non-monotonic associations we observed or the positive association between beer drinking and squamous cell carcinoma reflect real effects await future analyses and insights about possible biological mechanisms.

Alcohol consumption and risk of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma and gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma: A 16‐year prospective analysis from the NIH‐AARP diet and health cohort

The role of alcoholic beverages in the etiology of gastric cancer is unclear. Recent summaries showed a positive association between higher alcohol intake and gastric cancer risk, but the magnitude of association is small, there is moderate heterogeneity among studies, and most cases were from Asian populations. We prospectively investigated the associations of alcohol consumption with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) and gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) in 490,605 adults, aged 50-71 years at baseline who participated in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. Alcohol consumption in the past year was assessed at baseline by questionnaire and defined as total grams of ethanol intake per day or as a categorical variable: nondrinker, up to or including one drink per day, one to three drinks per day and greater than three drinks per day. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between alcohol intake and risk of gastric adenocarcinomas. Through 2011, 662 incident cases of GCA and 713 of GNCA occurred. We found no association between higher alcohol consumption and GCA or GNCA, when examined as total alcoholic beverage intake or individual beverage types of beer, wine and liquor. Furthermore, we observed no association by stratum of sex, ethnic group, educational level or smoking status. We did, however, observe lower risk of GNCA among participants who drank up to one drink per day (HR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67-0.97) compared to nondrinkers. In conclusion, alcohol consumption was not associated with increased risk of GCA or GNCA in this large U.S. cohort.

Moderate Beer Intake and Cardiovascular Health in Overweight Individuals.

Consistent epidemiological evidence indicates that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption is inversely associated with cardiovascular event presentation, while high levels of alcohol intake are associated to increased cardiovascular risk. Little is known on the effects of moderate beer intake in the metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of moderate and regular daily intake of beer with meals in overweight (body mass index (BMI) of 28–29.9 kg/m2) or obese class 1 (BMI of 30–35 kg/m2) individuals without other cardiovascular risk factors (dyslipidemia, type 2-diabetes, hypertension) focusing on the effects related to changes in weight, in lipoproteins and vascular endothelial function. We have performed an open, prospective two-arms longitudinal crossover study to investigate the effects associated with regular consumption (four week) of alcohol-free-beer (0 g alcohol/day) or traditional-beer (30 g alcohol/day in men and 15 g alcohol/day in women) on anthropometrical and biochemical parameters, liver and kidney function biomarkers, and vascular endothelial function. After four-week intervention with traditional and/or alcohol-free beer, BMI did not show any significant change and values for liver and kidney functions were within the normal levels. Moderate traditional beer intake did not affect lipid levels—however it significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of high density lipoprotein (HDL). In addition, apoB-depleted serum (after the four-week intervention period) showed a higher potential to promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages. Beer consumption did not induce vascular endothelial dysfunction or stiffness. In summary, our results based on a 12-week prospective study provide evidence that moderate intake of beer (traditional and alcohol-free) does not exert vascular detrimental effects nor increases body weight in obese healthy individuals. In contrast, moderate intake of beer increases the anti-oxidative properties of HDL and facilitates cholesterol efflux, which may prevent lipid deposition in the vessel wall.

Sugar, Hop α-Acid, and Amino Acid Contents Contribute to the Differential Profile Between Nonalcoholic and Alcoholic Beers

There is an increasing trend of nonalcoholic beer intake that motivates an effort to improve its taste. This study was conducted to assess the main differences in the polar and mid-polar chemical profile between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beers. A set of differential compounds was characterized through a metabolomics approach with ultraperformance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) measurements with further data analysis by partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Anhydrohexose, a disaccharide, and myoinositol along with phenylalanine, tyramine, and some hop α-acids (desdimethyl-hexahydro/octahydro-iso-cohumulone, tetrahydro-n/ad-humulone, and iso-n/ad-humulone) were shown as the main compounds stablishing differences in the chemical profile between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beers. Further analysis by principal components (PCA) using the content of the selected compounds clearly separated the alcoholic and nonalcoholic beers as well as different brands within these two groups. Cluster analysis provided a clear view of the similarity between the diverse beer brands but with slightly different outcomes to the PCA. Results of this study are expected to help breweries to improve the nonalcoholic beer taste.

Can nonalcoholic beer, silicon and hops reduce the brain damage and behavioral changes induced by aluminum nitrate in young male Wistar rats?

Aluminum consumption has been associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies suggest that regular beer intake reverses the pro-oxidant and inflammatory statuses induced by aluminum nitrate intoxication. This paper aims to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant capacity and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of non-alcoholic beer (NABeer), silicon or hops, as well as their effect on animal behavior (e.g. curiosity, immobilization, rearing, grooming, swimming) and brain antioxidant enzyme (activity and gene expression) and anti-inflammatory status in aluminum nitrate intoxicated rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: 1) Control, 2) Aluminum nitrate (450 μg/kg/day), 3) Aluminum nitrate plus NABeer, 4) Aluminum nitrate plus hops, and 5) Aluminum nitrate plus silicon. Hops showed the highest in vitro antioxidant capacity and silicon the highest anticholinesterase activity. In the Aluminum group the brain aluminum/silicon ratio increased with impairment of brain antioxidant and inflammatory statuses. NABeer, silicon and hops block the negative effect on the in vivo antioxidant and inflammatory statuses induced by Aluminum nitrate and improve swimming and rearing behavioral tests. The various positive results suggest that NABeer is useful as a functional multi-target drink in the prevention of some neurodegenerative events caused by aluminum intoxication. More studies are required to conclude present results.

Alcohol y juventud ¿existen diferencias en consumo de hombres y mujeres según edad de inicio?

En la adolescencia, el consumo de alcohol supone uno de los problemas de salud más acuciantes. Sin embargo, tanto los adolescentes como la sociedad, muestran una baja percepción de gravedad. En este contexto, la edad de inicio podría establecer diferencias en los patrones de consumo, facilitando su consolidación. Por ello, se analiza si existen diferencias entre aquellas personas que iniciaron su consumo antes y después de los 14 años, en cuanto a la frecuencia de consumo, los beneficios percibidos y los problemas ocasionados. Con tal fin, 894 jóvenes españoles entre 18 y 22 años (33,6% hombres y 67,3% mujeres), cumplimentaron un cuestionario sobre hábitos de salud dirigido a población joven. Según los resultados, el 99,4% consume alcohol en el momento actual y más de un tercio comenzó antes de los 14 años. Los hombres iniciarían antes tanto el consumo, como las primeras borracheras (entre los 10 y 12 años), mostrando diferencias estadísticamente significativas con las mujeres, en el primer caso (Chi2=15,66; p≤,008). En líneas generales, tanto en hombres como en mujeres, se observa cómo las personas que iniciaron el consumo antes de los 14 años, muestran una mayor frecuencia en el mismo. En algunos casos, como en la ingesta diaria de cerveza, llegan a doblar el consumo de los que lo iniciaron después. Además, reportan en mayor medida haber sufrido consecuencias negativas por el alcohol, así como percibir beneficios relacionados con su consumo como sentirse más seguros, conocer más fácilmente a personas, sentir euforia o combatir el aburrimiento con más facilidad. Así pues, los resultados apoyan una mayor exposición al riesgo, conductual y actitudinal, entre aquellas personas que comenzaron antes el consumo. De esta forma, se vuelve a poner de manifiesto la importancia de retrasar el consumo del alcohol y, en consecuencia, de gestionar planes preventivos dirigidos a edades más tempranas.

Beer effects on postprandial digestive symptoms and gastroesophagic physiology.

Beer has been related to gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and dyspepsia, based on its alcohol and gas content. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between moderate consumption of traditional and alcohol-free beer and upper digestive symptoms, gastric accommodation and GER. Healthy adults without frequent gastrointestinal symptoms and GER disease were included. The intervention involved administration of traditional beer to 10 subjects (substudy 1) and alcohol-free beer to 20 (substudy 2); control intervention entailed administration of water. Study duration was 2weeks (control/intervention). Postprandial gastric accommodation was assessed through the maximum tolerated volume during a nutrient drink test after the ingestion of water (day 1) and beer (day 8), in which symptoms of dyspepsia were evaluated every 5minutes. An impedance-pH monitoring assessed 24hours and post-NDT GER (days 1 and 8). Symptoms were evaluated daily during the study. The defined variables were compared between visits and weeks using a nonparametric test for paired data. Dyspepsia symptoms showed a progressive increase during the NDT for both interventions in the 2 substudies, though no significant differences were detected in the MTV analysis. No differences were detected in the sum of weekly symptoms. The analysis of impedance-pH monitoring did not show any differences between intervention and control visits for both interventions. Moderate consumption of traditional and alcohol-free beer does not increase dyspeptic symptoms or GER in healthy subjects, whether in a controlled-intake or real-life situation. Neither gastric accommodation nor reflux episodes are modified in this context.

Associations of dietary patterns with bone mass, muscle strength and balance in a cohort of Australian middle-aged women.

Influences of dietary patterns on musculoskeletal health are poorly understood in middle-aged women. This cross-sectional analysis from a cohort of 347 women (aged 36-57 years) aimed to examine associations between dietary patterns and musculoskeletal health outcomes in middle-aged women. Diet was measured by the Cancer Council of Victoria FFQ. Total body bone mineral content (TB BMC), femoral neck and lumbar spine bone density (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), lower limbs muscle strength (LMS) and balance tests (timed up and go test, step test, functional reach test (FRT) and lateral reach test) were also measured. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns and scores for each pattern generated using factor loadings with absolute values ≥0·20. Associations between food pattern scores and musculoskeletal outcomes were assessed using multivariable linear regression. Three dietary patterns were identified: 'Healthy' (high consumption of a plant-based diet - vegetables, legumes, fruit, tomatoes, nuts, snacks, garlic, whole grains and low intake of high-fat dairy products), 'high protein, high fat' (red meats, poultry, processed meats, potatoes, cruciferous and dark-yellow vegetables, fish, chips, spirits and high-fat dairy products) and 'Processed foods' (high intakes of meat pies, hamburgers, beer, sweets, fruit juice, processed meats, snacks, spirits, pizza and low intake of cruciferous vegetables). After adjustment for confounders, Healthy pattern was positively associated with LMS, whereas Processed foods pattern was inversely associated with TB BMC and FRT. The associations were not significant after accounting for multiple comparisons. There were no associations with any other outcomes. These results suggest that maintaining a healthy diet could contribute to bone acquisition, muscle strength and balance in adult life. However, while they provide some support for further investigating dietary strategies for prevention of age-related loss of muscle and deterioration in balance, the exploratory nature of the analyses means that confirmation in longitudinal studies and/or trials with pre-specified hypotheses is needed.

Effects of high alcohol intake, alcohol-related symptoms and smoking on mortality.

Both high alcohol intake and alcohol dependence increase mortality, and both are associated with smoking. We aimed to compare the associations of quantity of alcohol, number of alcohol-related symptoms and smoking history with all-cause mortality, and to assess symptom count and smoking history as confounders or mediators of the effects of high alcohol intake. Survival was analysed by Cox regression with sex, body mass index, alcohol intake (overall and by beverage), maximum drinks on any day, alcohol symptom count and smoking status as potential predictors of age at death. Australia. Participants were apparently healthy volunteers consisting of 33 593 Australian adult twins and their relatives who completed questionnaires or interviews between 1979 and 2005. Data on alcohol use, smoking and occurrence of symptoms related to alcohol use disorders and death records from the Australian National Death Index. A total of 3764 participants were matched with deaths occurring within Australia up to July 2014. Individually, alcohol intake [hazard ratio (HR)=1.0082, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.0063-1.0102, per drink per week], beer intake (HR=1.0159, 95% CI=1.0123-1.0195, per drink per week), life-time maximum number of drinks in 1 day (HR=1.0176, 95% CI=1.0130-1.0221, per drink), symptom count (HR=1.0867, 95% CI=1.0633-1.1106, per symptom) and smoking status (HR=2.82, 95% CI=2.52-3.16 for smokers of 10+ cigarettes/day versus never-smokers) were each significant predictors of all-cause mortality. After adjustment for the independently significant predictors alcohol symptom count and smoking status, alcohol intake was no longer significant (adjusted HR=1.0012 per drink per week, 95% CI=0.9979-1.0145). Number of symptoms related to high alcohol intake and tobacco smoking appear to account for the positive association between alcohol consumption and premature mortality.

Wine, spirits, and beer intake and endometriosis risk among infertile women: results from a case control study

Background: Alcohol consumption, a common habit worldwide, may affect estrogen levels. A relation between alcohol intake and endometriosis risk has been suggested. Materials and Methods: Case-control study including 80 infertile women with histologically confirmed endometriosis and 90 women, admitted for a wide spectrum of acute conditions unrelated to known potential risk factors for endometriosis, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Potential risk factors for endometriosis were analyzed using unconditional multiple logistic regression, fitted by the method of maximum likelihood. Results:&nbsp;Women with endometriosis were more educated and leaner. They also performed physical exercise during adolescence. The estimated odds ratios (ORs), in comparison with women reporting no alcohol intake, were 1.45 (95% confidence intervals (CIs) 0.76-2.78) for alcohol in general, 1.48 (95% CI 0.76-2.87) for women who drank wine, 1.29 (95% CI 0.65-2.58) for beer, and 1.30 (95% CI 0.56-3.03) for spirits. These findings were confirmed in strata of education, BMI, and leisure physical exercise during adolescence. Conclusions: This analysis, although base on limited number of subjects, may offer some information about the suggested relation between endometriosis and alcohol intake.

Ingesting a small amount of beer reduces arterial stiffness in healthy humans.

Epidemiological studies reveal a J‐shaped association between alcohol consumption and arterial stiffness, with arterial stiffening lower among mild‐to‐moderate drinkers than heavy drinkers or nondrinkers. This study aimed to examine the effects of ingesting a small amount of beer, corresponding to the amount consumed per day by a mild drinker, on arterial stiffness. Eleven men (20–22 years) participated, in random order and on different days, in four separate trials. The participants each drank 200 or 350 mL of alcohol‐free beer (AFB200 and AFB350) or beer (B200 and B350), and were monitored for 90 min postingestion. There were no significant changes in arterial stiffness among trials that ingested AF200 or AF350. However, among trials ingesting B200 and B350, breath alcohol concentrations increased significantly, while indexes of arterial stiffness decreased significantly for approximately 60 min: carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (B200: −0.6 ± 0.2 m/sec; B350: −0.6 ± 0.2 m/sec); brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (B200: −53 ± 18 cm/sec; B350: −57 ± 19 cm/sec); and cardio‐ankle vascular index (B200: −0.4 ± 0.1 unit; B350: −0.3 ± 0.1 unit). Furthermore, AFB showed no effect on arterial stiffness, regardless of whether or not it contained sugar, and no significant difference in antioxidant capacity was found between AFB and B. This is the first study to demonstrate that acute ingestion of relatively small amounts of beer reduces arterial stiffness (for approximately 60 min). Our data also suggest that the reduction in arterial stiffness induced by ingestion of beer is largely attributable to the effects of alcohol.

Acute Carbamate Insecticide Intoxication in Forensic Medicine

Carbamates are potent cholinesterase inhibitors derived from carbamic acid but compared to organophosphates their action is reversible thus making them less dangerous. Carbamates are frequently used as insecticides the most known in Romania being carbofuran (Furadan) secondary to a famous singer�s suicide using this substance. In the current paper the authors analyse the severity, mechanism of action and therapeutic methods used in carbamate insecticide intoxication based on one case of accidental poisoning secondary to contaminated beer ingestion. To our opinion, carbamates exhibit a different toxicity than the organophosphates, with a more brutal, life-threatening behaviour than previously considered.

Total and beverage-specific alcohol intake and the risk of aggressive prostate cancer: a case-control study.

Ethanol in alcoholic beverages is a known carcinogen, but its association with aggressive prostate cancer (APC) is uncertain. Recent studies have shown a modest increase in risk of APC associated with heavy alcohol intake while association for beverage types remain inconsistent. Using a case-control design and self-administered questionnaire, we examined the association between APC (high grade and/or advanced stage) and frequency and quantity of alcohol intake 2 years prior to enrolment. Furthermore, we delineated the relationships for beverage-specific intakes of beer, red wine, white wine and spirits. The study included 1282 APC cases and 951 controls. Beer intake frequency of ⩾5 days per week was associated with increased risk compared with no beer intake (odds ratio=1.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-2.48) whereas wine was protective at all frequencies of consumption compared with those with no wine intake. For every 10 g per week ethanol intake from beer increase, the odds of advanced PC rose by 3% (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.05). No such increased risk was observed for red or white wine while a marginal dose-response relationship was found for spirits (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.99-1.07). Heavy beer and possibly spirits consumption is associated with increased risk while no dose-response relationship was found for red or white wine. Wine drinkers at all frequencies have a decreased risk of APC compared with those who did not drink wine.

Parental-Offspring Association of Age of Onset of Coronary Heart Disease or Stroke A Prospective Cohort Study of Parents and Offspring

International Journal of Medicine and Public Health,2017,7,1,23-27.DOI:10.5530/ijmedph.2017.1.3Published:March 2017Type:Original ArticleParental-Offspring Association of Age of Onset of Coronary Heart Disease or Stroke A Prospective Cohort Study of Parents and OffspringNessim Abu Saif, Shannon A. Allport, Ngum Kikah, and Folefac D. Atem Nessim Abu Saif1,2*, Shannon A. Allport1,3*, Ngum Kikah1, Folefac D. Atem1 1The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, United States of America 2Trinity School of Medicine, Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 3Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America. Abstract:Objective: To investigate the effect of parental age of onset of coronary heart disease (chd) or stroke on age of onset of chd or stroke in offspring. Design: Inception cohort study. Methods: The association between age of onset of chd or stroke in offspring and maternal age of onset of chd or stroke and the association between age of onset of chd or stroke in offspring and paternal age of onset of chd or stroke were assessed using the cox proportional hazard model after conditionally imputing the censored parents (i.E. Parents who did not experience chd or stroke during the study). Results: Parental age of onset of chd was predictive of offspring age of onset of chd for both maternal age of onset of chd (p < 0.0001 N=1378) and for paternal age of onset of chd (p=0.0005 N=1194). A negative estimate of the coefficient of interest signifies that late onset of coronary heart disease in parents is protective of onset of chd in offspring. Beer intake and hdl were important confounding variables associated with parental and offspring age of onset chd. Conclusion: Using cox proportional hazard model, we found that late onset of chd or stroke in parents is cardioprotective for offspring. Parental age of onset of chd or stroke is associated with offspring age of onset of chd, and this relationship is described for each unit increase or decrease of age of onset using these statistical methods. This relationship suggests that data on parental history can be useful in the clinical setting in the determination of risk among those at intermediate levels of predicted risk using existing risk calculators. Keywords:cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular accident, coronary heart disease, onset of cardiovascular disease, risk factor, strokeView:PDF (217.52 KB) Full Text

Influence of Alcohol Consumption on the Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Among Women in the Nurses' Health Study Cohorts.

Moderate alcohol consumption has antiinflammatory properties and is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis risks. We investigated the association between alcohol consumption and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk among women followed in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) cohorts. We conducted a prospective cohort analysis among 204,055 women in NHS (1980-2012) and NHSII (1989-2011) who were free of connective tissue disease and provided alcohol information at baseline. Alcohol consumption was assessed using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire every 2-4 years. We validated incident SLE through medical record review after self-report. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for SLE based on cumulative average alcohol intake, adjusting for potential confounders. Results were meta-analyzed using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models. We further investigated SLE risk associated with wine, beer, and liquor intake. We identified 125 incident SLE cases in NHS and 119 in NHSII. Mean ± SD age at SLE diagnosis was 55.8 ± 9.5 years in NHS and 43.4 ± 7.7 years in NHSII. Compared to no alcohol intake, the meta-analyzed multivariable HR for cumulative alcohol consumption ≥5 gm/day was 0.61 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.41-0.89). When limiting alcohol exposure to >4 years prior to SLE diagnosis, the multivariable HR was similar: 0.61 (95% CI 0.41-0.91). Women who drank ≥2 servings/week of wine had significantly decreased SLE risk (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.45-0.96) compared to women who did not drink wine. In these large prospective cohorts, we demonstrated an inverse association between moderate alcohol consumption (≥5 grams or 0.5 drink/day) and SLE risk in women.

Alcoholic beverage preference and diabetes incidence across Europe: the Consortium on Health and Ageing Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) project.

It is unknown if wine, beer and spirit intake lead to a similar association with diabetes. We studied the association between alcoholic beverage preference and type 2 diabetes incidence in persons who reported to consume alcohol. Ten European cohort studies from the Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States were included, comprising participant data of 62 458 adults who reported alcohol consumption at baseline. Diabetes incidence was based on documented and/or self-reported diagnosis during follow-up. Preference was defined when ⩾70% of total alcohol consumed was either beer, wine or spirits. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were computed using Cox proportional hazard regression. Single-cohort HRs were pooled by random-effects meta-analysis. Beer, wine or spirit preference was not related to diabetes risk compared with having no preference. The pooled HRs were HR 1.06 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93, 1.20) for beer, HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.88, 1.11) for wine, and HR 1.19 (95% CI 0.97, 1.46) for spirit preference. Absolute wine intake, adjusted for total alcohol, was associated with a lower diabetes risk: pooled HR per 6 g/day was 0.96 (95% CI 0.93, 0.99). A spirit preference was related to a higher diabetes risk in those with a higher body mass index, in men and women separately, but not after excluding persons with prevalent diseases. This large individual-level meta-analysis among persons who reported alcohol consumption revealed that the preference for beer, wine, and spirits was similarly associated with diabetes incidence compared with having no preference.

Changes in linear and nonlinear measures of RR and QT interval series after beer intake

Background/Aim. There are only several studies on the acute effect of alcoholic drinks intake on heart rhythm and this phenomenon is still not well understood. We wanted to examine whether linear and nonlinear measures of RR interval and QT interval series could quantify the effect of beer in healthy subjects. Methods. Eighteen young volunteers drank 500 mL of beer (21 g of ethanol). Electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were taken in supine position: 20 minutes before (relaxation) and 60 minutes after drink intake. The RR interval series and the QT interval series were extracted from ECG and we calculated short-term (?1) and long-term (?2) scaling exponents and sample entropy (SampEn) for both series; low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) spectral components from RR interval series and QT variability (QTV). Blood pressure was measured every 10 minutes. Results. It was shown that beer induced changes in variability and correlation properties of these series. Immediate effect of beer intake was detected as a transient increase in the QT variability, heart rate and blood pressure. Delayed effects of beer were shortening of the RR and QT intervals and reduction of the HF spectral component. Beer intake also increased short-term scaling exponent (?1) of the RR time series and long-term scaling exponent (?2) of the QT time series. Conclusion. Our results suggest that acute effects of beer are reduced parasympathetic control of the heart and changed dynamic complexity of the ventricular repolarization.

Are the proposed benefits of melatonin-rich foods too hard to swallow?

ABSTRACT Melatonin has been proposed as a potent anti-oxidant, and its presence in many plants and foods has been suggested to be beneficial for health. Indeed, the concentrations of melatonin in blood and the melatonin metabolite 6 sulphatoxymelatonin in urine have been found to increase significantly after ingestion of melatonin-rich foods. In this review, the studies have been critically evaluated in light of the reported plant melatonin concentrations and our knowledge of pharmacokinetics of orally administered pure melatonin. In the case of studies involving measurement of plasma melatonin following ingestion of beer or fruits, the reported increase in melatonin is not consistent with the amount of melatonin ingested. Similarly, the amount of melatonin metabolite excreted following ingestion of melatonin-rich foods greatly exceeded the amount of melatonin ingested. It is concluded that studies reporting the appearance of melatonin in blood and its metabolites in urine following ingestion of melatonin-rich foods are flawed. While there may be health benefits for certain foods, it is difficult to accept that these are due to their low melatonin content.

Detecting Beer Intake by Unique Metabolite Patterns.

Evaluation of the health related effects of beer intake is hampered by the lack of accurate tools for assessing intakes (biomarkers). Therefore, we identified plasma and urine metabolites associated with recent beer intake by untargeted metabolomics and established a characteristic metabolite pattern representing raw materials and beer production as a qualitative biomarker of beer intake. In a randomized, crossover, single-blinded meal study (MSt1), 18 participants were given, one at a time, four different test beverages: strong, regular, and nonalcoholic beers and a soft drink. Four participants were assigned to have two additional beers (MSt2). In addition to plasma and urine samples, test beverages, wort, and hops extract were analyzed by UPLC-QTOF. A unique metabolite pattern reflecting beer metabolome, including metabolites derived from beer raw material (i.e., N-methyl tyramine sulfate and the sum of iso-α-acids and tricyclohumols) and the production process (i.e., pyro-glutamyl proline and 2-ethyl malate), was selected to establish a compliance biomarker model for detection of beer intake based on MSt1. The model predicted the MSt2 samples collected before and up to 12 h after beer intake correctly (AUC = 1). A biomarker model including four metabolites representing both beer raw materials and production steps provided a specific and accurate tool for measurement of beer consumption.