Alcohol-related liver disease: also a question of what you drink?

Excessive alcohol intake is still among the leading causes of chronic liver diseases. Epidemiological studies suggest that per capita consumption of alcohol from various alcohol beverages e.g., beer, wine, or spirits, differs markedly between different areas of the world. Studies further suggest that different alcoholic beverages may impact the development of alcohol-related liver diseases (ALD) differentially. Specifically, results of several more recent epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of wine and herein especially of red wine may be less harmful in relation to the development of liver diseases than the intake of hard spirits. Results of studies evaluating the effects of beer on the development of ALD in humans are rather contradictory. Here, results of studies assessing the impact of wine, beer, and spirits on the development of ALD as well as possible underlying mechanisms are summarized and discussed.