Although insufficient information is available on whether moderate amounts of alcohol have an effect on bone loss, it has been observed that heavy drinkers have abnormally light bones that fracture easily, with impairment of calcium absorption through the intestines. Alcoholism produces inflammation of the liver, causing damaged cells to be replaced by scar tissue that impairs the organ’s function. Thus there is a reduced ability to produce enzymes for digestion and absorption of food nutrients.
Male alcoholics in their twenties have been known to have osteoporosis. A research team from Loma Linda University and Jerry Pettis Veterans Administration Hospital in California, has evidence that alcohol itself accelerates the breakdown of bone, although it is still uncertain whether alcoholics’ bone problems may also be the results of poor diet, the inability of the liver to activate vitamin D, and/or a lack of exercise. Heavy drinkers may be taking certain antacids to soothe their stomachs, adding further to their bone problems.
It is the amount of alcohol you drink, and not the particular kind of drink that the alcohol is in. Thus 1.5 oz of whisky equals
6 oz of wine, equals 12 oz of beer. Pure alcohol is 200° proof. Distilled spirits such as brandy, gin, vodka and whisky are about 40 per cent alcohol (80° proof). Fortified wines such as port, Madeira and sherry are about 20 per cent alcohol. Table wines, whether light or full-bodied, are about 10 per cent alcohol. Beers are about 5 per cent alcohol.
Many medications contain alcohol – for instance, medicines for coughs, colds and congestion – because alcohol is a better solvent and provides longer shelf-life than a water solution. A concentration of alcohol up to 35 per cent is used in many mouthwashes.
The problem is that we don’t stop to consider that alcoholic beverages are drugs that can have interactions with many other drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription. Alcohol can cause other drugs to be used more rapidly by your body, producing exaggerated effects (mixing alcohol with a high dosage of ‘Valium’ or ‘Darvon’ can be fatal). Drugs can intensify your reaction to alcohol, leading to more rapid intoxication. Your body’s response can also be influenced by menstrual periods and hormone levels, including the taking of oral contraceptives or hormone replacements after menopause – slowing the rate at which alcohol clears from your bloodstream.
Two-thirds of the population drink alcohol and certainly don’t think of themselves as drug users. Alcohol is present at most of the big celebrations: births and christenings, birthdays, graduations, weddings, promotions, deaths and funerals. Holidays and Christmas revolve around having a drink with family and friends.
But ask yourself honestly if you are drinking more than a moderate amount each day – an important factor when considering loss of bone mass. How would you answer the following questions?
Have you lost interest in food?
Do you crave a drink at a definite time each day, and need to
drink more to get the desired effect?
Do you drink to put yourself to sleep?
Do you gulp drinks too fast?
Do you drink alone?
Do you drink because you are shy, need to calm your nerves
or bolster your confidence?
Do you lie about how much you drink – and feel guilty?
Are you losing time from work because of drinking?
Has your efficiency and ambition decreased because of
drinking?
Has drinking made you indifferent about your family?
Do you drink to forget problems at home, at work, or to
reduce depression?
Is drinking making your life at home unhappy?
Are you in financial trouble because of heavy drinking?
Have you sought the help of a doctor or been to hospital
because of drinking?
Although alcohol abuse has been closely linked to the stresses of old age, with some studies estimating that 10 per cent to 15 per cent of people over the age of fifty-five may have a drinking problem, there is also great concern for the epidemic of teenage drinking. But the teen years are when the body should be building up its skeletal mass at the average rate of 10 per cent a year. Some young people under eighteen are already alcoholics or nearly so; many more are heading towards problem drinking that may be a lifetime handicap. Discourage your young daughter from drinking and smoking, and set yourself as an example.
For control of alcoholic beverage consumption, a physician will sometimes prescribe disulfiram (‘Antabuse’ by C. P. Pharmaceuticals) which is formulated to cause palpitations, flushing, sweating, shortness of breath or dizziness when even a small amount of drink is consumed or other drugs containing alcohol are taken.
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