Drinking Alcohol and a Fat Attack
Women Drinkers Consume More Calories, Fat
The more women drink the worse their eating habits become, a new study reports. Women who drink heavily consume about a third more calories and cholesterol than those who do not drink at all.A report in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition announced the results of research by Dr. Emmanuelle Kesse from INSERM in Villejuif, France of 73,000 middle-aged French women, who self-reported their drinking and eating habits.
Investigators found that those who drank the most alcohol consumed about 30 percent more calories overall and 32 percent more cholesterol than non-drinkers, regardless of their choice of beverage.
Drinkers reported eating more processed meats, cheese, oil and bread while non-drinkers ate more fruit, vegetables and yogurt, according to the report.
Here are other key findings of the study:
- Heavy drinkers, or those who consumed at least 2.5 drinks daily, also consumed more iron and vitamins A and E but less beta-carotene than women who drank less.
- Heavy drinkers were four times as likely to also be smokers, compared to non-drinkers in the study.
- Drinking may affect health indirectly by increasing the risk of poor nutrition and smoking.
- Intakes of calories and fat were found to rise in tandem with alcohol intake.
- Results seem to contradict previous studies showing that moderate drinkers have healthier diets than non-drinkers.
