Dietary and lifestyle habits of drinkers with preference for alcoholic beverage: does it really matter for public health? A review of the evidence

Although the detrimental effects of heavy drinking in terms of health are well-documented in the literature, there are inconsistent findings regarding the safety of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption. In particular, little is still known about the consumption of specific alcoholic beverages in combination with dietary habits and lifestyle, which in turn could influence health status. Thus, the aim of this review is to summarise and critically evaluate the evidence of a relationship between preference for alcoholic beverages and consumer dietary and lifestyle habits. A literature search retrieved 3,887 articles. By removing duplicates and articles which were not relevant, the final number of articles was 26. The adherence to a healthier diet and lifestyle was generally observed in light-to-moderate alcohol consumers, especially when wine was the preferred beverage. Considering the potentially strong impact of drinking patterns on health and the risk of developing chronic diseases, the data summarised in this review highlight that alcoholic beverage preferences, drinking patterns, dietary patterns and lifestyle should be studied together. Any future epidemiological studies should analyse the relationship between alcohol consumption and the abovementioned correlations with respect to impact on health.

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Mechanisms of protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the cardiovascular system

Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo ◽

10.2298/sarh0410334j ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 132 (9-10) ◽

pp. 334-339

Author(s):

Branko Jakovljevic ◽

Katarina Paunovic ◽

Goran Belojevic ◽

Vesna Stojanov

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Diseases ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Blood Clot ◽

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Population Level ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Protective Effects

Consumption of alcoholic beverages has been known in many cultures since the ancient civilizations, so harmful consequences of excessive alcohol intake have been well explained. Many epidemiological studies confirmed lower morbidity and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases in persons who drink alcohol "moderately" (1-2 drinks a day), independently of the kind of alcoholic beverage. This paper presents the review of molecular mechanisms that are believed to explain cardioprotective effect of moderate drinking-alcohol effects on lipoproteins, endothelial cells, blood clot formation and dissolution, as well as genetic and gender variances modifying the relation. A simple recommendation regarding the increase of alcohol consumption cannot be made on population level. The professionals must therefore concentrate on other preventive methods in order to reduce other significant risk factors of cardiovascular diseases.

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Reward-Related Attentional Capture Moderates the Association between Fear-Driven Motives and Heavy Drinking

European Addiction Research ◽

10.1159/000513470 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Chang Liu ◽

Murat Yücel ◽

Chao Suo ◽

Mike E. Le Pelley ◽

Jeggan Tiego ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Attentional Capture ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Drinking Motives ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Cognitive Mechanisms ◽

Problematic Drinking ◽

The Past ◽

Motivational Profile

Background: To date, there has been little investigation on how motivational and cognitive mechanisms interact to influence problematic drinking behaviours. Towards this aim, the current study examined whether reward-related attentional capture is associated with reward, fear (relief), and habit drinking motives, and further, whether it interacts with these motives in relation to problematic drinking patterns. Methods: Ninety participants (mean age = 34.8 years, SD = 9.1, 54% male) who reported having consumed alcohol in the past month completed an online visual search task that measured reward-related attentional capture as well as the Habit Reward Fear Scale, a measure of drinking motives. Participants also completed measures of psychological distress, impulsivity, compulsive drinking, and consumption items of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Regression analyses examined the associations between motives for alcohol consumption and reward-related attentional capture, as well as the associations between reward-related attentional capture, motives, and their interaction, with alcohol consumption and problems. Results: Greater reward-related attentional capture was associated with greater reward motives. Further, reward-related attentional capture also interacted with fear motives in relation to alcohol consumption. Follow-up analyses showed that this interaction was driven by greater fear motives being associated with heavier drinking among those with lower reward-related attentional capture (i.e., “goal-trackers”). Conclusion: These findings have implications for understanding how cognition may interact with motives in association with problematic drinking. Specifically, the findings highlight different potential pathways to problematic drinking according to an individual’s cognitive-motivational profile and may inform tailored interventions to target profile-specific mechanisms. Finally, these findings offer support for contemporary models of addiction that view excessive goal-directed behaviour under negative affect as a critical contributor to addictive behaviours.

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Self-Rated Aversion to Taste Qualities and the PROP Taster Phenotype Associate with Alcoholic Beverage Intake and Preference

Beverages ◽

10.3390/beverages7020037 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 37

Author(s):

Gary J. Pickering ◽

Margaret K. Thibodeau

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Red Wine ◽

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Likert Scale ◽

White Wine ◽

Sensory Attributes ◽

Taste Perception ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Beverage Type

Consumers often identify “taste” as an important factor when selecting alcoholic beverages. Although it is assumed that reduced alcohol consumption in PROP super-tasters is due to a greater dislike of the nominally aversive sensations that they experience more intensely (e.g., bitterness) when compared to PROP non-tasters, this question has not been specifically asked to them. Therefore, we examined consumers’ self-reported aversion towards specific sensory attributes (bitter, hot/burn, dry, sour, sweet, carbonation) for four alcoholic beverage types (white wine, red wine, beer, spirits) using a convenience sample of U.S. wine consumers (n = 925). Participants rated 18 statements describing different combinations of sensory attributes and alcoholic beverages on a 5-point Likert scale (e.g., Beer tastes too bitter for me). Individuals who tended to agree more strongly with the statements (i.e., they were more averse; p(F) < 0.05) tended to (i) consume less of all beverage types, (ii) consume a higher proportion of white wine (p(r) < 0.05), and (iii) were more likely to be female or PROP super-tasters. The results suggest that self-reported aversion to specific sensory attributes is associated with not only lower overall intake of alcoholic beverages, but also a shift in the relative proportions of beverage type consumed; a key finding for studies investigating how taste perception impacts alcohol consumption.

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Nordic, Italian, and German Drinking Habits: A Comparison between Surveys Made since the 1980s

Nordisk Alkoholtisdkrift (Nordic Alcohol Studies) ◽

10.1177/145507259501201s12 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 12 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. 14-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sari Hanhinen

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Adult Population ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Nordic Countries ◽

European Countries ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Central European ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Drinking Habits ◽

Drinking Frequency

This article compares Nordic drinking habit surveys and their results — a comparison previously done in 1988. It includes all the main surveys regarding drinking habits of the adult population in the Nordic countries since 1988. In addition the analysis takes in Italy and Germany. Drinking habits are described and compared on four dimensions: the share of abstainers and drinkers, overall drinking frequency, the volume of alcohol consumption, and heavy drinking and drinking for intoxication. The study highlights the difficulties inherent in the international comparison of drinking habits. The results indicate that even though the changes in beverage preferences imply a homogenization of drinking patterns, the homogenization hypothesis proves to be wrong when comparing the results concerning the shares of abstainers, drinking frequencies or distribution of alcohol consumption between women and men. Denmark still differs from the rest of the Nordic countries in these respects, being closer to central European countries like Germany. In the other Nordic countries traditional drinking patterns seem to persist despite the changes in beverage preferences. Closest to Denmark and central European countries stands Finland, where drinking frequency has been rising and where more alcohol is consumed than in Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Looking at the previous comparison of Nordic drinking habits, it can be concluded that drinking habits are very open to changes.

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Changes in Alcoholic Beverage Choice and Risky Drinking among Adolescents in Europe 1999–2019

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182010933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (20) ◽

pp. 10933

Author(s):

Johanna K. Loy ◽

Nicki-Nils Seitz ◽

Elin K. Bye ◽

Paul Dietze ◽

Carolin Kilian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

European Countries ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Country Level ◽

Northern European ◽

Multinomial Logit Regression ◽

Average Alcohol ◽

School Survey ◽

Alcohol And Other Drugs

This paper explores trends in beverage preference in adolescents, identifies related regional differences, and examines cluster differences in key drinking measures. Data were obtained from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), covering 24 European countries between 1999 and 2019. Trends in the distribution of alcoholic beverages on the participants’ most recent drinking occasion were analysed by sex and country using fractional multinomial logit regression. Clusters of countries based on trends and predicted beverage proportions were compared regarding the prevalence of drinkers, mean alcohol volume and prevalence of heavy drinking. Four distinct clusters each among girls and boys emerged. Among girls, there was not one type of beverage that was preferred across clusters, but the proportion of cider/alcopops strongly increased over time in most clusters. Among boys, the proportion of beer decreased, but was dominant across time in all clusters. Only northern European countries formed a geographically defined region with the highest prevalence of heavy drinking and average alcohol volume in both genders. Adolescent beverage preferences are associated with mean alcohol volume and heavy drinking at a country-level. Future approaches to drinking cultures need to take subpopulations such as adolescents into account.

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The Earliest Toasts

Alcohol and Humans ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198842460.003.0005 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 60-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elisa Guerra-Doce

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Animal Species ◽

Homo Sapiens ◽

Cultural Construction ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Natural Occurrence ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Alcoholic Drinks ◽

Religious Factors ◽

Archaeological Perspective

The taste for alcohol is not exclusive to humans, as some other animal species are attracted to ripe fruits and nectar due to the natural occurrence of ethanol. However, what makes Homo sapiens different is their capacity to produce alcoholic beverages. From the Neolithic, if not earlier, the production of alcoholic drinks is documented, and this production ensured the supply of alcohol. Consequently, alcohol consumption was no longer sporadic and occasional. This process ran in parallel to the development of specific alcohol-related equipment, and organized drinking patterns gradually became more and more formalized. Its use has depended not only on its effects, mainly its capacity to enhance sociability, but also on historical, economic, and religious factors. The aim of this chapter is to search for the origins of this dynamic in prehistoric Europe from an archaeological perspective in order to explore the foundations of the cultural construction of alcohol.

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“The Dop System of Alcohol Distribution is Dead, but It’s Legacy Lives On….”

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16193701 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (19) ◽

pp. 3701

Author(s):

Philip May ◽

Anna-Susan Marais ◽

Marlene De Vries ◽

Julie Hasken ◽

Julie Stegall ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Fetal Alcohol ◽

Problematic Drinking ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Objective: Determine the prevalence of Dop, a system of labor payment via alcoholic beverages, in a South African province, and its influence on maternal drinking and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Methods: Data from studies of FASD epidemiology were analyzed. Results: Forty-two percent to 67% of mothers reported drinking. In 1999, 5% of women reported Dop allocations in their lifetime: 14% of mothers of FASD children and 1% of controls. In 2010, 1.1% of mothers reported lifetime Dop: 1.6% of FASD mothers and 0.7% of controls. Commercial alcohol sales have replaced the Dop system. Total FASD rates remained high in rural areas in 2010 and rose in urban settings. Urban rates of total FASD surpassed rural area rates in 2010. Correlation analysis did not reveal a strong or significant, direct relationship between Dop experience and heavy drinking (r = 0.123, p < 0.001, r2 = 0.015), or the diagnosis of FASD in children (OR = 0.003, p = 0.183). Conclusion: Dop, as a systematic practice, is dead and does not have a direct influence on alcohol availability, heavy maternal drinking, or the probability of an FASD diagnosis. Nevertheless, today’s problematic drinking patterns were heavily influenced (shaped) by Dop and have negatively impacted the prevalence and severity of FASD.

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Alcohol intake in relation to body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio: the importance of type of alcoholic beverage

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2004680 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 315-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Esther Lukasiewicz ◽

Louise I Mennen ◽

Sandrine Bertrais ◽

Nathalie Arnault ◽

Paul Preziosi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Body Mass ◽

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Men And Women ◽

Waist To Hip Ratio ◽

Dietary Records ◽

Total Alcohol

AbstractObjectiveAlcohol consumption may play a role in the development of obesity but the relationship between alcohol and weight is still unclear. The aim of our study was to assess the cross-sectional association of intakes of total alcohol and of specific alcoholic beverages (wine, beer and spirits) with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) in a large sample of adults from all over France.DesignCross-sectional.SettingParticipants were free-living healthy volunteers of the SU.VI.MAX study (an intervention study on the effects of antioxidant supplementation on chronic diseases).SubjectsFor 1481 women aged 35–60 years and 1210 men aged 45–60 years, intakes of total alcohol and specific alcoholic beverages were assessed by six 24-hour dietary records. BMI and WHR were measured during a clinical examination the year after.ResultsA J-shaped relationship was found between total alcohol consumption and WHR in both sexes and between total alcohol consumption and BMI in men only (P < 0.05). The same relationships were observed with wine (P < 0.05); men and women consuming less than 100 g day−1 had a lower BMI (men only) and WHR than non-drinkers or those consuming more. Spirits consumption was positively associated with BMI (linear regression coefficient β = 0.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09–0.34 and β = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.06–0.39 for men and women, respectively) and WHR (β = 0.003, 95% CI: 0.001–0.005 and β = 0.003, 95%CI: 0.0002–0.006) in both sexes in a linear fashion. No relationship between beer consumption and BMI or WHR was found.ConclusionIf confirmed in longitudinal studies, our results indicate that consumption of alcoholic beverages may be a risk factor for obesity.

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THE GENDER AGE AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

Health Care of the Russian Federation ◽

10.18821/0044-197x-2017-61-3-148-155 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 61 (3) ◽

pp. 148-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sergey A. Maksimov ◽

Ya. V. Danil’Chenko ◽

M. V. Tabakaev ◽

T. A. Mulerova ◽

E. V. Indukaeva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Social Economic ◽

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Vascular Diseases ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Economic Factors ◽

Age Group ◽

Female Population ◽

Cardio Vascular ◽

Economic Indices

The methods. The study was implemented within the framework of epidemiological study “The epidemiology of cardio-vascular diseases in the Russian Federation” (ESSE-RF). The analysis was applied to random sampling of male and female population aged from 25 to 64 years (1628 respondents in totality) residents of the Kemerovo region. The type of consumed alcoholic beverages, rate of consumption, average volume of alcohol consumed per one intake were analyzed. The genuine technique was applied to calculate annual volume of consumed alcohol and also to convert volumes of various types of alcoholic beverages in units of “safe” dosage of ethanol. The results. The most preferred alcoholic beverage are vodka (60.6%), beer (51.7%) and vine (52.2%). The males prefer vodka and beer, the females - vine. With increasing of age the consumption of beer decreases linearly from 74.3% in age group 25-34 years to 33.2% in age group 55-64 years. The preference of vodka is typical for individuals aged from 35 to 54 years (about 65%). The volume of consumption of alcohol reaches in average in sample 1.48 ± 2.07 of mean day dosage of ethanol. With age, volumes of consumed alcohol decrease from 2,17 ± 2,04 in younger age group to 0,75 ± 1,36 in elder age group. In females decreasing is linear and in males lenear too from age of 45 years. for females lower total volumes of consumed alcohol are more characteristic in comparison with the males. The alcohol is consumed basically in “rarely/little” (59,3%) and “often/little” (21,1%) degrees. The females predominantly consume alcohol “rarely/little” (77,4%). With age, increasing is noted of percentage of consuming “rarely/little” from 44.2% among individuals of 33-44 years old to 72.5% in age group 55-64 years. Among social economic indices, positive effect on decreasing of consumption of alcohol render higher education, availability of family (males), lacking of work. The conclusion. The established patterns testify significant effect of gender and age on type, volume and rate of alcohol consumption. The social economic factors make much lesser contribution to volumes of consumed alcohol. for a number of social economic factors no effect is established.

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STUDENTŲ ALKOHOLIO VARTOJIMO LŪKESČIŲ, SAVIVEIKSMINGUMO, MOTYVŲ IR ALKOHOLIO VARTOJIMO SĄSAJOS

Psichologija ◽

10.15388/psichol.2011.44.2546 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 88-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Baltrušaitytė ◽

L. Bulotaitė

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Outcome Expectancies ◽

Drinking Motives ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Alcohol Outcome Expectancies ◽

The Relationship ◽

Alcohol Related Problems

Straipsnio tikslas – išsiaiškinti studentų lūkesčių, motyvų ir saviveiksmingumo sąsajas su alkoholio vartojimu. Naudojant alkoholio vartojimo lūkesčių klausimyną, atsisakymo gerti saviveiksmingumo klausimyną, motyvų vartoti alkoholį klausimyną, motyvų nevartoti alkoholio klausimyną ir alkoholio vartojimo įpročių bei problemų anketą buvo apklausti 308 studentai iš 5 Lietuvos universitetų. Gauti rezultatai rodo, kad studentų motyvai vartoti alkoholį ir teigiamų pasekmių lūkesčiai yra teigiamai susiję su alkoholio vartojimo dažnumu, kiekiu ir vartojimo sukeltomis problemomis, o atsisakymo gerti saviveiksmingumas ir motyvai nevartoti alkoholio dėl abejingumo alkoholiui yra neigiamai susiję su alkoholio vartojimo ypatumais (dažnumu, kiekiu, problemomis). Vyriškoji lytis, stipresni motyvai vartoti alkoholį ir menkesnis saviveiksmingumas prognozuoja didesnius suvartojamo alkoholio kiekius, o dažnesnį alkoholio vartojimą prognozuoja dar ir jaunesnis alkoholio vartojimo pradžios amžius. Didesnį su alkoholio vartojimu susijusių problemų skaičių prognozuoja ne tik gausesnis alkoholio vartojimas, bet ir stipresni motyvai vartoti alkoholį bei silpnesnis saviveiksmingumas. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: alkoholio vartojimas, lūkesčiai, motyvai, saviveiksmingumas.Relationship between Alcohol Outcome Expectancies, Self-Efficacy, Motives and Alcohol Consumption among University StudentsBaltrušaitytė R., Bulotaitė L. SummaryAlcohol use is widespread among university students. While searching for the factors associated with drinking, scientists more often acknowledge the importance of various cognitive-motivational variables. It is recommended to consider these variables when developing effective prevention and intervention programs. The cognitive-motivational variables examined in this study were: alcohol outcome expectancies, drinking motives, motives for not drinking, and drinking refusal self-efficacy. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between alcohol outcome expectancies, motives, self-efficacy and alcohol consumption among Lithuanian university students. Another aim was to propose and test a meditational model in which alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems are predicted by expectancies, motives and self-efficacy. 308 students from five Lithuanian universities participated in this study. All participants completed the Drinking Expectancy Questionnaire – revised (DEQ-r), Drinking Refusal Self-efficacy Questionnaire – revised (DRSEQ-r), Drinking Motives Questionnaire (DMQ), motives for not drinking questionnaire and one more questionnaire assessing drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems. The results have shown that the male gender, stronger motives to drink and a weaker drink ing refusal self-efficacy predict a larger quantity of alcohol consumed per occasion. More frequent drinking was also predicted by an earlier age of drinking onset. A larger number of alcohol-related problems was predicted not only by the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption, but also by stronger motives to drink and a weaker drinking refusal self-efficacy. The relationship between positive alcohol outcome expectancies and alcohol consumption was mediated by motives and drinking refusal self-efficacy. Motives to drink predict alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems directly and indirectly – through self-efficacy. Drinking refusal self-efficacy predicted alcohol consumption directly, and the relationship between self-efficacy and alcohol-related problems was mediated by alcohol consumption. Strong positive alcohol outcome expectancies and drinking motives may be considered as potential risk factors for heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. Strong drinking refusal self-efficacy and strong motives for not drinking because of indifference toward alcohol may be considered as protective factors against drinking and alcohol-related problems among university students.Keywords: alcohol consumption, expectancies, motives, self-efficacy.15%; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">

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