Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-9nwgx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-24T03:05:32.100Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of alcohol on food and energy intake in human subjects: evidence for passive and active over-consumption of energy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Martin R. Yeomans
Martin R. Yeomans*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Martin R. Yeomans, fax +44 1273 678058, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The effects of alcohol on food and energy intake in human subjects have been the subject of a number of controlled studies recently. Unlike the evidence for other macronutrients, there is minimal evidence for any compensatory reduction in food intake in response to energy ingested as alcohol. In contrast, all studies testing intake within 1 h of preload ingestion report a higher intake of food following alcohol relative to energy-matched controls, although this short-term stimulatory effect is not evident if the test meal is delayed beyond 1 h. This time-course suggests that short-term stimulation of appetite may be mediated by the pharmacological action of alcohol on the appetite control system, either through enhanced orosensory reward or impaired satiety. In the long term, energy ingested as alcohol is additive to energy from other sources, suggesting that moderate alcohol consumption results in long-term passive over-consumption alongside short-term active over-consumption of energy through appetite stimulation. Despite the consistency of enhanced energy intake after moderate alcohol, evidence of an association between alcohol in the diet and obesity remains contentious, although the most recent results suggest that alcohol intake correlates with BMI. Future research needs to address this issue and clarify the mechanisms underlying appetite stimulation by alcohol.

Keywords

AlcoholEnergy intakeFood intake
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 92 , Issue S1 , August 2004 , pp. S31 - S34
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2004

References

Buemann, B, Toubro, S & Astrup, A (2002) The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake. Int J Obes 26, 1367–1372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Castro, JM & Orozco, S (1990) Moderate alcohol intake and spontaneous eating patterns of humans: evidence of unregulated supplementation. Am J Clin Nutr 52, 246–253.Google Scholar
Foltin, RW, Kelly, TH & Fischman, MW (1993) Ethanol as an energy source in humans: comparison with dextrose-containing beverages. Appetite 20, 95–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
French, S (2004) Effects of dietary fat and carbohydrate on appetite vary depending upon site and structure. Br J Nutr 92, Suppl. 1S23–S26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hetherington, MM, Cameron, F, Wallis, DJ & Pirie, LM (2001) Stimulation of appetite by alcohol. Physiol Behav 74, 283–289.Google Scholar
Lahti-Koski, M, Pietinen, P, Heliovaara, M & Vartiainen, E (2002) Associations of body mass index and obesity with physical activity, food choices, alcohol intake, and smoking in the 1982–1997 FINRISK Studies. Am J Clin Nutr 75, 809–817.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lieber, CS (2000) Alcohol: Its metabolism and interaction with nutrients. Ann Rev Nutr 20, 395–400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCarty, MF (2000) The insulin-sensitising activity of moderate alcohol consumption may promote leanness in women. Med Hypotheses 54, 794–797.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mattes, RD (1996) Dietary compensation by humans for supplemental energy provided as ethanol or carbohydrate in fluids. Physiol Behav 59, 179–187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Polivy, J & Herman, CP, (1976a) The effects of alcohol on eating behavior: disinhibition or sedation? Addict Behav 1, 121–125.Google Scholar
Polivy, J & Herman, CP, (1976b) Effects of alcohol on eating behavior: influence of mood and perceived intoxication. J Abnorm Psychol 85, 601–606.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poppitt, SD, Eckhardt, JW, McGonagle, J, Murgatroyd, PR & Prentice, AM (1996) Short-term effects of alcohol-consumption on appetite and energy-intake. Physiol Behav 60, 1063–1070.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poppitt, SD, McCormack, D & Buffenstein, R (1998) Short term effects of macronutrient preloads on appetite and energy intake in lean women. Physiol Behav 64, 279–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prentice, AM (1995) Alcohol and obesity. Int J Obes 19, S44–S50.Google Scholar
Suter, PM, Hasler, E & Vetter, W (1997) Effects of alcohol on energy metabolism and body weight regulation: Is alcohol a risk factor for obesity? Nutr Rev 55, 157–171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tremblay, A & St-Pierre, S (1996) The hyperphagic effect of a high-fat diet and alcohol intake persists after control for energy density. Am J Clin Nutr 63, 479–482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tremblay, A, Wouters, E, Wenker, M, St-Pierre, S, Bouchard, C & Despres, J-P (1995) Alcohol and a high-fat diet: a combination favoring overfeeding. Am J Clin Nutr 62, 639–644.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wannamethee, SG & Shaper, AG (2003) Alcohol, body weight, and weight gain in middle-aged men. Am J Clin Nutr 77, 1312–1317.Google Scholar
Westerterp-Plantenga, MS & Verwegen, CRT (1999) The appetizing effect of an aperitif in overweight and normal-weight humans. Am J Clin Nutr 69, 205–212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Windham, CT, Wyse, BW & Hansen, RG (1983) Alcohol consumption and nutrient density of diets in the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey. J Am Diet Assoc 82, 365–372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yeomans, MR (1996) Palatability and the microstructure of eating in humans: the appetiser effect. Appetite 27, 119–133.Google Scholar
Yeomans, MR, Hails, NJ & Nesic, JS (1999) Alcohol and the appetiser effect. Behav Pharmacol 10, 151–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yeomans, MR, Lee, MD, Gray, RW & French, SJ (2001) Effects of test-meal palatability on compensatory eating following disguised fat and carbohydrate preloads. Int J Obes 25, 1215–1224.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yeomans, MR & Phillips, MF (2002) Failure to reduce short-term appetite following alcohol is independent of beliefs about the presence of alcohol. Nutr Neurosci 5, 131–139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed