Healthy Eating Does Not Neutralize Alcohol's Effects, Study Finds

A healthy diet may not be enough to offset the detrimental effects of regular alcohol consumption, according to a new study published in the journal ‘Alcohol and Alcoholism.’ Researchers found that moderate to heavy drinking can increase inflammation in the body, even among those who adhere to a healthy eating plan.

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Diet provides some protective effect, but it is not enough to neutralize the negative impact of frequent drinking.

The study, led by Kailyn Lowder and Jimikaye Beck Courtney, investigated the impact of diet and alcohol on chronic inflammation, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The research involved 91 adults aged 21-44 with a BMI of 25 or higher, categorized by their alcohol consumption levels: non-drinkers, low, moderate, and heavy drinkers.

While daily alcohol intake logs showed no clear immediate correlation with inflammatory markers, analyzing drinking habits from the previous month revealed a link between regular, moderate, or heavy drinking and unfavorable changes in certain inflammatory markers. This effect was more pronounced in women, who showed higher levels of C-reactive protein compared to low-drinking women. The researchers suggest this difference may stem from variations in alcohol metabolism between sexes.

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Long-term inflammation in the body can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Although a healthier diet, particularly one rich in whole grains, showed a tendency to lower some inflammatory markers like interleukin-6, its overall protective effect was limited. The study concludes that while diet can offer a degree of mitigation, it does not fully neutralize the increased inflammation associated with consistent, moderate to heavy alcohol intake.

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Women who drank moderately and heavily had higher levels of C-reactive protein than women who drank little.