DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines - Eat For Health

The loss of brain tissue that occurs in people with chronic alcoholism seems to occur
independently of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and may be related to ethanol toxicity and poor
nutrition.
Cardiovascular effects: The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system is complex. Alcohol can
raise blood pressure and increase the risk of arrhythmias, shortness of breath, some types of
cardiac failure, haemorrhagic stroke and other circulatory problems. However, low levels of
alcohol raise high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reduce plaque accumulations in arteries
[626, 665]. Alcohol can also have a mild anticoagulant effect.
Diabetes: Alcohol affects the management of diabetes through its effects on diet and control of
blood glucose levels. Alcohol interferes with the action of insulin, insulin secretagogues and
glucagon, thereby increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia in people with Type I or 2 diabetes who
take these medications [666, 667].
Dementia: If alcohol has a protective effect against dementia, this may relate to the effect of
alcohol on blood lipids as one of the causal factors of dementia is microvascular changes within the
brain [668, 669].
3.4.4 Practical considerations: Limiting alcohol
Of Australians aged over 14 years, 83% reported having consumed alcohol at least once in the 12
months preceding the 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, with 8% drinking alcohol
on a daily basis and about 47% consuming alcohol at least weekly [670]. The majority of
Australians who reported consuming alcohol also reported moderating their intake, primarily to
reduce the risk to their health. Methods included counting and limiting the number of drinks,
eating food while consuming alcohol, alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and
drinking low-alcohol drinks [670].
Nearly all alcohol is consumed as drinks, principally beers and wines. Alcoholic drinks contain few
other nutrients except for the bioactive flavonoids found in wine, mainly in red wine. Alcoholic
drinks are usually consumed with foods, either as part of a meal or accompanied by snack foods,
increasing the associated energy intake.
The apparent average consumption of alcohol is estimated at 10.08L per person over 15 years old
per year [671], and declines with age [672]. Consumption is 45% higher in the Northern Territory
than in the rest of Australia. The average consumption equates to an additional 650 kJ/day for
every person over 15 years of age from alcohol. Alcoholic drinks that contain added sugar have
additional energy. Clearly if alcohol is consumed in addition to the normal diet, leading to excess
energy intake compared to requirements, weight will increase.
A full stomach will reduce the rate of absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Drinking alcohol
in combination with eating therefore reduces the rate at which blood alcohol content increases.
DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 98