Alcohol

Question 1

What is alcohol?

Answer 1

Organic substance formed when a hydroxyl group is substituted for a hydrogen atom in a hydrocarbon. The type of alcohol used in alcoholic beverages, ethanol, derives from fermenting sugar with yeast

Question 2

Functions of alcohol

Answer 2

Alcohol is not an essential nutrient hence has no function, it does provide energy - very high energy component

Question 3

Alcohol and digestion

Answer 3

Alcohol does not require digestion, 20% absorbed in stomach -> food slows, 80% in small intestine, moves easily between cells, distributed throughout body water

Question 4

Metabolism of alcohol

Answer 4

Small amount metabolised in stomach, majority metabolised in liver
Small amount unmetabolised: excreted in urine, breath or breast milk.
1. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) - stomach, liver, pancreas, brain
2. Microsomes ethanol-oxidising system (MEOS) - long term drinkers
3. Catalyse in presence of hydrogen peroxide - converts ethanol to acetaldehyde, probably <2% ethanol metabolism

Question 5

Factors affecting alcohol metabolism

Answer 5

1. Quantity of alcohol consumed
2. Male vs female (women have smaller livers, lower % of total body water, less stomach ADH, higher absorption)
3. Size
4. Genetics

Question 6

Consuming too much alcohol

Answer 6

Toxic effects, cancer, elevated NADH:NAD+, induced metabolic tolerance

Question 7

What is hazardous drinking?

Answer 7

Refers to an established alcohol drinking pattern that carries a risk of harming the drinkers physical or mental health or having harmful social effects on the drinker or others

Question 8

Alcohol associated with cancer

Answer 8

Liver cancer, breast cancer, oesophagus cancer (anywhere where alcohol ‘touches’) tend to have higher risk associated with higher alcohol consumption