Search resultsEffect of alcohol intake on the levels of plasma homocysteine in healthy males
Title
Effect of alcohol intake on the levels of plasma homocysteine in healthy males
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2000
Authors
Journal
Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology
Volume
46
Issue
4
Pagination
171 - 174
Date published
2000
ISBN
03014800 (ISSN)
Keywords
Adult, alcohol, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, Alcohol intake, alcohol withdrawal, article, aspartate aminotransferase, Aspartate Aminotransferases, blood level, Cholesterol, HDL, controlled study, Coronary Disease, Epidemiologic Studies, Ethanol, gamma glutamyltransferase, gamma-Glutamyltransferase, high density lipoprotein, homocysteine, human, human experiment, Humans, hyperhomocysteinemia, male, Middle Aged, normal human, smoking, triacylglycerol, Triglycerides
Abstract
Hyperhomocysteinemia in chronic alcoholics has been reported, but it remains unclear whether relatively low alcohol intake compared with the previous reports affects the plasma homocysteine level. To investigate this issue, we performed two studies, a population-based study and an alcohol withdrawal study. An analysis of plasma homocysteine levels in a population of 236 healthy males showed no significant association between alcohol consumption and other tested parameters. In the withdrawal study, the subjects with a history of daily alcohol consumption (81.8±33.0 g/d, mean±SD, 40-150 g/d, range) abstained from alcohol for 4 wk. After withdrawal, the levels of serum γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly decreased, but the plasma homocysteine level did not change. These results suggest that alcohol intake, at least as far as the amount of beverages our study subjects consumed, has no effect on the plasma homocysteine level in healthy males.