Forsander O A
Biomedical Research Center, Alko Ltd, Helsinki, Finland.
Alcohol Alcohol. 1994 Sep;29(5):503-12.
In addition to being a pharmacological agent, alcohol (ethanol) can also be considered a food; the body can utilize effectively its calorific contribution. The consumption of alcohol has in many respects the same characteristics as the intake of food. In animal experiments, food intake decreases in relation to the calorific value of the alcohol consumed; in human studies, various results have been obtained from no compensation to full compensation for the contribution from alcohol. If a choice is possible, primarily the carbohydrate part of the diet is decreased for compensation to ethanol intake. Food, in turn, can influence alcohol consumption. There is evidence that it is the carbohydrate content of the diet which influences alcohol drinking. The daily intake of alcohol is equally or even better regulated than intake of carbohydrate, protein, or fat. There is a circadian rhythm of alcohol consumption which resembles the rhythm of food intake. However, the mechanism which regulates alcohol intake does not have a very strong influence on the behaviour of most animals or humans, and its control is often overpowered by outside factors. Nevertheless, it is important to identify the precise mechanism because a better understanding should provide valuable information for use in the search for risk markers and pharmacological treatments for alcoholism.
除了作为一种药物制剂外，酒精（乙醇）也可被视为一种食物；人体能够有效利用其热量贡献。酒精的摄入在许多方面与食物的摄取具有相同的特点。在动物实验中，食物摄入量会随着所摄入酒精的热量值而减少；在人体研究中，从对酒精贡献无补偿到完全补偿，得到了各种不同的结果。如果可以选择，主要是饮食中的碳水化合物部分会减少以补偿乙醇的摄入。反过来，食物也会影响酒精的摄入量。有证据表明，正是饮食中的碳水化合物含量影响着饮酒行为。酒精的每日摄入量比碳水化合物、蛋白质或脂肪的摄入量受到的调节更为均衡甚至更好。酒精摄入存在昼夜节律，这与食物摄取的节律相似。然而，调节酒精摄入量的机制对大多数动物或人类的行为影响并不十分强烈，其控制常常会被外部因素所压倒。尽管如此，确定确切的机制很重要，因为更好地理解它应该能为寻找酒精中毒的风险标志物和药物治疗提供有价值的信息。
