A community study of calorie and nutrient intake in drinkers and nondrinkers of alcohol.

Nutrient intake and alcohol consumption were studied in a 15% random sample of a predominantly white upper-middle class suburban community in Southern California. Based on 24-h dietary recall, 51% of the 691 men and women aged 30 to 90 yr in the study population had consumed an average of 30 g alcohol during the preceding 24 h. In general, alcohol-derived calories were added to the diet, and did not replace calories derived from other nutrients. Consequently, alcohol consumers had a significantly higher total caloric intake than did nondrinkers. Dietary differences were greatest in moderate drinkers, who tended to consume fewer nonalcohol-derived calories, and less of most specific nutrients. Although dietary differences in moderate drinkers were similar in men and women, statistically significant differences in women were limited to carbohydrate consumption. Moderate drinking men consumed significantly less protein, fat, carbohydrate, and cholesterol. These dietary differences suggest one mechanism whereby moderate alcohol consumption might reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Although alcohol intake resulted in an increase in total calories consumed, alcohol drinkers were not more obese than nondrinkers. Since similar proportions of drinkers and nondrinkers exercised regularly, these data may suggest that alcohol calories are not fully utilized.