Drinking is associated
with a poor diet, a new study says.
Spanish researchers
surveyed more than 12,000 adults aged 18 to 64 about their drinking and eating
habits. They found that heavy drinking, binge drinking, a preference for hard liquor and even drinking
at mealtimes were associated with poor adherence to major nutrition guidelines.
Although drinking
during mealtimes is traditionally associated with good health, the researchers
found that this was not true if the drinkers ate carelessly.
"Our results are
of relevance because they show that drinking at mealtimes is associated with
insufficient intake of healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and with
excessive intake of animal protein," said study corresponding author Jose
Lorenzo Valencia-Martin, a doctor at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, said
in a journal news release.
"In Spain,
alcohol is frequently drunk during meals, particularly lunch and dinner.
Because of this, and the lower prevalence of abstainers, our findings apply to
most adults in Spain and in other Mediterranean countries in Europe," he
added.
Valencia-Martin
pointed out that heavy drinkers were likely to develop liver disease, and that
many tended to favor high-energy fast foods high in trans fat. Unfortunately, a
diet high in trans fats might also contribute to liver disease, he
said.
Excessive drinking and
an unhealthy diet are two major preventable factors that contribute to health
problems in developed nations, the researchers noted.
"Drinking alcohol
may reduce maintaining a healthy diet, leading to adverse metabolic effects
which, in turn, add to those directly produced by alcohol,"
Valencia-Martin said.
"Alcohol may
indirectly contribute to several chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes
mellitus, cardiovascular disease or cancer,"
he added.