INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF ALCOHOL INTAKE WITH BLOOD VITAMIN STATUS IN NONALCOHOLIC SUBJECTS

The vitamin status was investigated in 157 healthy men, aged 20 to 60 years and recruited in the Centre for Preventive Medicine of Dijon (Fr ance), by means of a dietary survey and biochemical studies. Subjects were grouped according to their usual alcohol intake: 0 g/d, 0.1-39 g/ d, 40-79 g/d, and 79+ g/d. The 1992 French Recommended Dietary Allowan ce (FRDA) was used to assess adequacy of intake. Drinkers had similar intakes of total calories than nondrinkers. Calories derived from inge sted alcohol appeared to replace carbohydrate as a source of energy in drinkers. Thiamin, riboflavin, folate, and vitamin A mean intakes dec reased significantly when alcohol intake increased. The serum concentr ation of retinol and retinol-binding protein was significantly higher in drinkers than in nondrinkers. Drinkers did not have a higher risk r ate for a biochemical vitamin deficiency of thiamin, riboflavin, vitam in B-6, folate, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E than the nondrinkers. The percentage of subjects with plasma 25(OH)D < 10 nmol/L was high (approximate to 33%) in subjects drinking 79+ g alcoho l/d, which indicated a high risk of deficiency of vitamin D in this gr oup.