CARBOHYDRATE-RELATED REGULATION OF THE ETHANOL-INDUCED INCREASE IN SERUM GAMMA-GLUTAMYL-TRANSPEPTIDASE ACTIVITY IN ADULT MEN

The dietary influence on ethanol-induced increase in serum gamma-gluta myl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) activity was studied in 2165 healthy me n 18-85 y of age living in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As ethanol consum ption increased, the intake of cereals, potatoes, vegetables, milk and dairy products, oils, fruit, confections, and sugar decreased, wherea s the intake of meat increased. These associations suggest that ethano l consumption led to the decrease in the intake of carbohydrate and ve getable fat. Serum gamma-GTP activity was found to be positively relat ed to ethanol consumption and negatively related to the intake of suga r, fruit, and confections. The activity was the highest in those whose percent energy intake from carbohydrates was the lowest. Stepwise-mul tiple-regression analysis identified the three variables ethanol, suga r, and fruit, as the factors associated with the value of gamma-GTP ac tivity: ethanol on the one hand increased the activity, whereas sugar and fruit on the other hand decreased the activity. Moreover, a lowere d sugar intake augmented the ethanol-induced increase in the enzyme ac tivity. These results suggest that sugar intake plays a role in the et hanol-induced increase in serum gamma-GTP activity.