Experimental and observational studies on alcohol use and dietary intake: a systematic review

Abstract

The scientific literature on links among alcohol use, total energy intake, cardiometabolic disease and obesity is conflicting. To clarify the link between alcohol use and cardiometabolic health, this systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42016039308A) uses PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines to synthesize how alcohol use affects dietary intake (carbohydrate, fat and protein intake) in humans. A search of Google Scholar, PsycINFO and PubMed from June 2016-March 2019 yielded 30 qualified studies.Experimental and observational studies allowed for inferences about effects of a single drinking occasion and of frequent drinking, respectively. Alcohol quantities were standardized according to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. On average, methodological quality of the studies was medium strength. Results indicated that a single occasion of light and moderate drinking as well as frequent light and moderate drinking were linked to greater fat and protein intake, albeit the majority of studies did not detect differences in dietary intake due to these drinking behaviours.Frequent heavy drinking, on the other hand, was linked to less carbohydrate intake in the majority of studies. Overall, alcohol use does not appear to uniformly affect diet but instead appears to affect intake of specific macronutrients in a dose-dependent manner, most consistently decreasing carbohydrate intake with heavier use. K E Y W O R D Salcohol, dietary intake, PROSPERO CRD42016039308, systematic review

Blockade of Orexin Receptors in the Posterior Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus Prevents Stress-Induced Reinstatement of Reward-Seeking Behavior in Rats With a History of Ethanol Dependence

“…The reason why EtOH dependence did not influence SCM consumption is unclear. However, as suggested by others (for review, see Cummings et al, 2020), the dose-dependent effects of EtOH on palatable food intake could overlap with the biphasic effect of EtOH (i.e., increase in food intake at a low dose of EtOH and no change or a decrease in food intake at a high dose of EtOH). If low-dose EtOH can increase the motivation for palatable food, the withdrawal state that is induced by chronic exposure to high doses of EtOH (i.e., CIE vapor exposure) can be alleviated only by a voluntary increase in EtOH self-administration (escalation) but not SCM self-administration (no escalation).…”

“…Drugs of abuse usurp neurocircuitry that controls food intake (Volkow et al, 2012 , 2013 ; Tomasi and Volkow, 2013 ) and it has been described that palatable food and EtOH intake is controlled by common neuronal substrates (Barson et al, 2011 ; Barson and Leibowitz, 2016 ). Both clinical and preclinical studies have shown that moderate EtOH consumption increases palatable food intake (Schrieks et al, 2015 ; Cummings et al, 2020 ), but heavy EtOH consumption either decreases or does not change palatable food intake (Cummings et al, 2020 ). These previous findings were confirmed by the present results, showing no changes in SCM consumption during EtOH dependence (i.e., heavy EtOH exposure).…”

‘Joining the Dots’: Individual, Sociocultural and Environmental Links between Alcohol Consumption, Dietary Intake and Body Weight—A Narrative Review

“…There are suggestions that alcohol may impact macronutrient intake, and this may have implications on weight as macronutrients may differentially affect energy metabolism [ 33 ]. Cummings and colleagues [ 34 ] systematically reviewed the evidence on the relationship of alcohol and macronutrient intake (refined and unrefined carbohydrate/fat/protein) intake. The 18 experimental studies identified in the search yielded mixed results.…”

Increasing the Price of Alcohol as an Obesity Prevention Measure: The Potential Cost-Effectiveness of Introducing a Uniform Volumetric Tax and a Minimum Floor Price on Alcohol in Australia

“…In comparison, confectionery and cereal bars contribute around 2.8% and soft drinks contribute 1.9% of daily energy intake [9]. There are a number of studies that suggest an association between alcohol intake and increased energy intake [3,10,11]. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Kwok et al (2019), which included 22 studies, found that alcohol consumption significantly increased both food energy intake and overall energy intake, and that intake of food was not reduced to compensate for the energy consumed from alcohol [11].…”

“…A recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Kwok et al (2019), which included 22 studies, found that alcohol consumption significantly increased both food energy intake and overall energy intake, and that intake of food was not reduced to compensate for the energy consumed from alcohol [11]. Another recent systematic review by Cummings et al (2019) found that across 30 studies, low and moderate alcohol use was linked to greater dietary intake [10]. Considering the significant contribution of kilojoules from alcohol in the diet, and evidence that the consumption of alcohol is likely to lead to increased energy intake, a reduction of alcoholic beverage intake represents a potentially important component of a comprehensive obesity prevention strategy.…”