Alcohol and plasma homocysteine: A specific effect of beer?

Homocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases that is dependent on several parameters, the most important being the supply in folic acid, vitamin B12 and B6: three elements that are directly involved in this metabolism. The type of lifestyle and alcohol consumption are also implicated. The relationship that exists between alcohol and homocysteine is complex and the data that are available are more or less contradictory. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to an important and constant rise in homocysteinemia. A moderate and regular consumption, however, appears to have contrasting effects depending on the beverage. Wine consumption tends to lead to a rise in homocysteinemia whereas beer consumption has no effect. All the studies, except one, carried out in various populations confirm this effect of beer. The results of one intervention study show that there is an inverse correlation between the circulating concentrations of vitamin B6 and homocysteine. Therefore, when the level of alcohol intake is equivalent, wine or beer consumption leads to similar cardioprotective effects. Indeed, the antioxidant effects of wine polyphenols are compensated by the action of beer micro-constituents on the homocysteine metabolism.