Alcohol can stifle appetite, say Australian researchers.
While an odd glass of wine can be good for us, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that alcohol is the second leading cause of drug related deaths and hospitalisations in Australia.‘Small amounts of alcohol are often promoted as being beneficial for health. However, alcohol is a drug that is abused and the repercussion of alcohol abuse over a long time can seriously effect most of the major organs of the body,’ says Dr. Anna Kokavec, head of La Trobe University’s School of Psychological Science.
She and her colleague Professor Simon Crowe are finding out exactly how alcohol affects the body by undertaking research that focuses on the links between alcohol consumption and appetite.
‘Alcoholics often presents for treatment in a highly malnourished condition, an issue that can lead to health problems like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, (a condition that can lead to forms of amnesia and hallucinations) Dr. Kokavec says.
This malnourishment was often attributed to the ‘poor dietary habits’ of alcoholics, but now Dr. Kokavec’s research has uncovered another reason to explain malnourishment in heavy drinkers and the results speak for themselves.
‘We confirmed that certain biochemical processes associated with appetite regulation do change when alcohol was consumed.’
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‘The research provides enough evidence to question whether malnutrition and poor dietary behaviour of alcoholics is the fault of the individual or whether it’s the consequences of alcohol and the role it plays in suppressing appetite,’ says Dr Kokavec.
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‘Knowing whether alcohol, promotes, inhibits or has no effect on appetite is of great importance to health professionals involved in the treatment of alcoholics. It is also important when considering the effect that alcohol has in the development of diseases in humans,’ she adds.
Source-Medindia
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