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Nutritional deficiencies in German middle-class male alcohol consumers: relation to dietary intake and severity of liver disease

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 57, pages 431–438 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare the nutrient intake and the nutritional status between German middle-class alcohol consumers and non-drinkers.

Design: Cross-sectional study using patients with different stages of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and healthy volunteers.

Setting: Southern Germany.

Subjects: Seventy-six hospitalized German middle-class alcohol consumers with different stages of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and 22 healthy control subjects.

Methods: Subjects and controls were nutritionally assessed and mineral and vitamin content was measured in blood and urine.

Results: When compared with controls, alcohol consumers had significantly higher intakes of total calories, but intake of non-alcoholic calories did not differ between groups (P<0.05). Among drinkers, there was a decrease in percentage of energy derived from protein and fat and a significant increase in carbohydrates (P<0.05). With the exception of vitamin E, micronutrient intake of alcoholics was equal to that of controls; however, blood vitamin (vitamin C, retinol, lycopene, α- and γ-carotene) and trace element (selenium, zinc) concentrations of alcohol-drinking patients were lower than those of non-drinkers.

Conclusion: From the results of this study it is concluded that in German middle-class male alcohol consumers the status of several micronutrients is disturbed, although dietary intake hardly differs from that in non-alcoholic controls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany

    I Bergheim & J C Bode

  2. Department of Physiology of Nutrition, Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, Germany

    A Parlesak, C Dierks & C Bode

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  1. I Bergheim
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  2. A Parlesak
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  3. C Dierks
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Guarantor: Ch Bode.

Contributors: I Bergheim, A Parlesak, C Dierks, JC Bode.

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Correspondence to C Bode.

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Bergheim, I., Parlesak, A., Dierks, C. et al. Nutritional deficiencies in German middle-class male alcohol consumers: relation to dietary intake and severity of liver disease. Eur J Clin Nutr 57, 431–438 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601557

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