Draft Australian Dietary Guidelines (PDF, 3MB) - Eat For Health

The loss of brain tissue that occurs in people with chronic alcoholism seems to occurindependently of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and may be related to ethanol toxicity and poornutrition.Cardiovascular effects: The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system is complex. Alcohol canraise blood pressure and increase the risk of arrhythmias, shortness of breath, some types ofcardiac failure, haemorrhagic stroke and other circulatory problems. However, low levels ofalcohol 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 ofblood glucose levels. Alcohol interferes with the action of insulin, insulin secretagogues andglucagon, thereby increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia in people with Type I or 2 diabetes whotake these medications [666, 667].Dementia: If alcohol has a protective effect against dementia, this may relate to the effect ofalcohol on blood lipids as one of the causal factors of dementia is microvascular changes within thebrain [668, 669].3.4.4 Practical considerations: Limiting alcoholOf Australians aged over 14 years, 83% reported having consumed alcohol at least once in the 12months preceding the 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, with 8% drinking alcoholon a daily basis and about 47% consuming alcohol at least weekly [670]. The majority ofAustralians who reported consuming alcohol also reported moderating their intake, primarily toreduce 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 anddrinking low-alcohol drinks [670].Nearly all alcohol is consumed as drinks, principally beers and wines. Alcoholic drinks contain fewother nutrients except for the bioactive flavonoids found in wine, mainly in red wine. Alcoholicdrinks 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 oldper year [671], and declines with age [672]. Consumption is 45% higher in the Northern Territorythan in the rest of Australia. The average consumption equates to an additional 650 kJ/day forevery person over 15 years of age from alcohol. Alcoholic drinks that contain added sugar haveadditional energy. Clearly if alcohol is consumed in addition to the normal diet, leading to excessenergy intake compared to requirements, weight will increase.A full stomach will reduce the rate of absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Drinking alcoholin combination with eating therefore reduces the rate at which blood alcohol content increases.DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 98