According to a latest research that was presented at Digestive Disease Week® 2006 (DDW) yesterday, the amount of alcohol consumed and how it is mixed with other beverages can affect the health of the gastrointestinal (GI) system. In the past quite a few studies were done to evaluate the risks and benefits of alcohol, and many done on the risk if alcohol consumption was abused.
DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of Gastroentrologist, Hepatology, Endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery."Many factors come into play when managing a healthy lifestyle. In this case, patterns of alcohol consumption may significantly affect digestive health," said Lee Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center. "Researchers explore a variety of drinking methods to differentiate which patterns are most harmful and which may have some beneficial protective effects."
Artificially Sweetened, Compared to Regular Mixers, Accelerate Gastric Emptying and the Rate of Alcohol Absorption [Abstract M2198] When alcohol is mixed with beverages such as orange juice or soda, the rate of alcohol absorption into the blood stream depends not only on the individual, but also the "mixer." Researchers at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia analysed alcoholic beverages mixed with diet or regular soda (with sucrose) to determine the rate of gastric emptying and blood alcohol response. They found that alcohol combined with sugar-free mixers were processed through the stomach and entered the blood stream much more quickly than alcohol with regular mixers.
Researchers analyzed eight male volunteers who consumed orange-flavored vodka beverages with both a diet mixer and regular mixer. Participants were monitored to track the rate at which the mixer was emptied from the stomach and their subsequent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels.
From this study, the team discovered that the substitution of artificial sweeteners for sucrose in mixed alcoholic beverages may have a substantial effect on the rate of gastric emptying and the blood alcohol response. The time to empty half of the diet drink from the stomach was 21 minutes, compared to regular drinks, which took 36 minutes for the same degree of emptying. Peak blood alcohol concentrations were substantially greater with diet drinks at an average of 0.05 percent, while regular drinks measured at 0.03 percent BAC.
"Today, more and more people are shifting personal preferences by choosing 'diet' drinks as a healthier alternative," said Chris Rayner, M.D., of Royal Adelaide Hospital and lead author of the study. "What people do not understand is the potential side effects that diet mixed alcoholic drinks may have on their body's response to alcohol."
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Although previous analyses have identified an increased risk of colon cancer in conjunction with excessive alcohol consumption, only a few have examined in-depth the relationship between the amount of alcohol intake and the corresponding risk of colorectal adenomas and cancers.
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"Consuming alcohol within a moderate limit may be beneficial to the colon, but we cannot assume that the rate of alcohol consumption is the only factor," said Gregory Austin, M.D., of the University of North Carolina and lead study author. "It is vital that researchers take a broader approach into understanding the development of colorectal adenomas and the range of effects that various lifestyle choices or habits may have."
Source: Eurekalert