Moderate alcohol intake and spontaneous eating patterns of humans: evidence of unregulated supplementation

Article Abstract:

Alcohol is a significant source of calories in the American diet, providing an average of 160 calories daily for persons of drinking age. However, there is little information about the effect of alcohol consumption on the individual's regulation of total caloric intake. Studies have found that alcoholics tend to consume alcohol instead of foods that provide fats and carbohydrates, thus their total caloric intake may remain stable. But persons who consume alcohol in moderation may not follow this pattern of replacing food calories with alcohol calories. The effect of moderate drinking on eating habits was evaluated in a group of 23 men and 69 women. The subjects were paid a small fee to record everything they ate and drank for seven days; they were also asked to note their mood at the time they ate and the number of people they were with. Of the total group, 32 did not drink any alcohol throughout the period and the other 60 did consume alcohol. The data showed that calories from alcohol were consumed in addition to the usual amount of food; alcohol calories did not replace food calories. As a consequence, drinkers consumed more total energy than nondrinkers. The intake of nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fats was the same for drinkers and nondrinkers and for drinking and nondrinking days within the group that consumed alcohol; thus alcohol was simply added to the usual diet. This is not the case with alcoholics, who tend to replace food with alcohol, thereby reducing their intake of nutrients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Alcohol, Ethanol, Americans, Alcohol use

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Food-consumption trends between adolescent and adult years and subsequent risk of prostate cancer

Article Abstract:

The effects of diet on the development of prostate cancer may be related to dietary intake during adolescence as well as during adulthood. Diet during adolescence may act to initiate the tumor, whereas diet during adulthood may enhance the development of the tumor. However, it is difficult for an adult subject to accurately recall the composition of his diet in adolescence. Food consumption patterns during adolescence and adulthood were evaluated in a study of prostate cancer in Utah. Changes in food consumption between the adolescent and adult years were identified and were then compared with national food-consumption trends. The relationship of fat intake during adolescence and adulthood to the risk of prostate cancer was also examined. Eggs, whole milk, butter, white bread, cereals, and candy were consumed more during adolescence than during adulthood. Red meat, fish, low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, margarine, fruit, vegetables, and whole-wheat bread were consumed more frequently during adulthood than during adolescence. These changes in food consumption with aging corresponded to national changes in food-consumption practices. The consumption of a diet high in saturated fat during adulthood, but not during adolescence, was associated with a slightly increased risk of prostate cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Risk factors, Food and nutrition, Teenage boys, Prostate cancer

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Dietary evaluation of patients with smell and/or taste disorders

Article Abstract:

Persons with disorders of taste and/or smell, also called chemosensory disorders, may respond with changes in eating habits that have an adverse effect on their nutrition. About two million Americans suffer from various taste and smell disorders including heightened, diminished and distorted sensation. For instance, some individuals have completely lost their sense of smell while others perceive an unpleasant smell constantly. Causes of these problems vary but include nasal or sinus disease, head injury, radiation therapy and congenital disorders. A group of 118 patients with chemosensory disorders and 40 healthy controls were surveyed about their eating habits. Those persons who sensed a 'phantom' smell or taste were more likely to lose weight as a result, probably because foods took on this unpleasant smell or taste. Patients who had lost their sense of taste or smell more frequently gained weight, perhaps because food was less satisfying than before. Records of foods eaten did not indicate that either group of patients was likely to suffer substantial deficits in nutrition, but eating habits and weight were clearly affected by the chemosensory dysfunction. Some individual patients showed sudden weight changes and bizarre eating patterns. Dietary guidelines are needed for these patients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Abnormalities, Complications and side effects, Sense organs, Taste, Taste (Sense), Smell, Smell disorders, Olfaction disorders, Anosmia

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