Last year, around 224.3 million U.S. residents — 67% of the country — said they had an alcoholic drink at some point in their lives. Now, research shows a person’s drink of choice may say something about their lifestyle. Simply put, beer drinkers might be lagging when it comes to diet, exercise and smoking.
Lead study author Madeline Novack, chief resident at Tulane School of Medicine’s internal medicine residency program, will present her team’s findings Sunday at a meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Both cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease “often coexist, and lifestyle changes are key to managing and preventing these conditions, starting with understanding the link between alcohol use and poor nutrition,” Novack said in a news release.
To better understand that link, researchers surveyed more than 1,900 U.S. adults who drank alcohol. Around 38.9% drank only beer, while 21.8% consumed wine and 18.2% drank only liquor. Around 21% drank a combination of alcohols.
The team then compared the drinkers’ self-reported eating habits with the Healthy Eating Index. Ideally, a person scores 100 on the index, signifying they effectively follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, following the recommendations can reduce a person’s risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and other diet-related chronic diseases.
Scoring 49, the survey’s beer drinkers tested 15.5% lower on the index than the average American. Wine drinkers did a little better at 55, with liquor drinkers and variety drinkers both coming in at 53.
People who drank only beer consumed more calories, were more likely to smoke and were less active than anyone else in the survey. Novack said doctors should use her study to prevent liver disease and other health issues by asking their patients what kinds of alcohol they consume. A beer drinker, for instance, could be advised to eat more fruits and vegetables, perhaps get a little more exercise.
The lead author will present “Beer Consumption is Associated with Low Dietary Quality Among Alcohol Users” at the AASLD’s Liver Meeting on Sunday.
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