According to the American Association for the study of liver diseases (AASLD) conclusion, beer drinkers have poor health and are more prone to smoke cigarettes than wine drinkers. The journal Nutrients is being simultaneously published with the study.
“Slightly more than one-third of all cirrhosis cases in the U.S. are related to alcohol overuse, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing quickly,” said Madeline Novack, chief resident at Tulane School of Medicine’s internal medicine residency program and first author of the study. “Often, both types of liver disease occur together, and lifestyle changes play a huge role in helping to prevent and manage these conditions, beginning with understanding the role that alcohol use and poor nutrition.”
Using a survey of a national U.S. adult sample (n=1,978) who reported current alcohol use, researchers compared diet quality between those who reported consuming beer only (38.9%), wine only (21.8%), liquor only (18.2%), or combinations of alcohol types (21%) against the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), a validated standardized measurement based on dietary guidelines.
None of these groups came anywhere near 80 on the 100 scorecard of an adequate diet on the Healthy Eating Index; the beer drinkers, for example, scored 49. Wine drinkers received a score of 55, while combination drinkers and liquor-only drinkers also achieved a score of around 53. In addition, beer-only drinkers, who were more likely to be male, younger, smokers, and of low income, reported the highest daily caloric intake adjusting for body weight and the lowest level of physical activity.
This study included a total of 1,917 current drinkers of alcohol. The distribution of alcoholic beverage type consumption was as follows: 38.9% beer-only, 21.8% wine-only, 18.2% liquor/cocktail-only, and 21.0% multiple types. Overall, wine-only consumers were slightly older, more predominantly women, with a mean age of 53.4 years (p<0.001) and the highest proportion of men at 27.6% (p<0.001). Alcohol beverage choice was quite different by race group (p=0.002).Â
“The context in which food and alcohol are consumed together could explain why drinkers vary in their diet quality,” Novack said. In the US, beer is commonly preferred in settings where choices of foods do not favor high fiber excess carbohydrates and processed meats. The inverse is also a possibility, said Novack, that dietary choices affect the choice of alcohol consumed. So, in a case like this, when you consume fried or salty foods, you will notice thirst which can also make you a beer-only drinker.
To prevent liver disease and other health complications, physicians should inquire about the kind of alcohol they consume to inform the patient about healthy behaviors, said Novack. For instance, this study could be implemented for beer-only drinkers whereby the doctors may advise such patients to take fruits and vegetables, and exercise.
Reference: Ting P-S, Lin W-T, Liangpunsakul S, et al. Convergence of alcohol consumption and dietary quality in US adults who currently drink alcohol: an analysis of two core risk factors of liver disease. Nutrients. 2024;16(22):3866. doi:10.3390/nu16223866
