Alcohol & Nutrition Dr. Swati Piramal is the Chief Scientific Officer of Nicholas-Piramal India Ltd. and Piramal Hospital. She is the co-author of Eat Your Way to Good Health, a complete fitness guide for the family. Her e-mail address is spiramal@vsnl.com

For a few moments you are in an exotic location in the Carribean. A good looking guy in a suit walks in, and the world stops! James Bond, I presume? It is him! The new James Bond film has Pierce Brosnan - (my daughter and I agree he would win the best-looking guy prize), I walked into a shop made famous by Bond afficiandos called the "Spymaster" in London. It was a world where there were night vision telescopes, tiny undetectable bugs, remote videos, world satellite phones and even an underwater scooter which you could see the vibrant coloured coral in the sea ! Last but not least the famous Martini shaker which gave Bond his drink "Shaken, not stirred!" The alcohol did not affect Bond's razor sharp reflexes, or his ability to jump out of speeding trains and cars! Alas, alcohol affects most normal people by acting as a neuromuscular poison, if imbibed in large amounts! As Homer wrote in his classic the Iliad in 850 B.C. "Inflaming wine, pernicious to mankind, unnerves the limbs, and dulls the noble mind."

Alcohol is of importance to nutrition because it provides energy and because its ingestion can affect many other nutrients. Excessive alcohol causes an evidence of nutritional deficiencies.

Fermented beverages have been consumed for thousands of years, in part, because fermentation provided one of the earliest methods of food preservation. In ancient Greece, wine drinking was confined to the upper classes, while beer drinking was common in the lower classes. In 18th century England gin was the drink of the poor while the rich drank port, (who also got gout in the process).

Distilled spirits, in contrast, provide concentrated sources of alcohol and calories, largely without other nutrients. Out of history grew a series of health and social reform movements including the movement towards prohibition.

Misuse of alcohol is one of the most preventable health problems. Excessive alcohol use, causes cirrhosis of the liver, motor vehicle and other accidents (notably the untimely death of Lady Diana.), suicides and homicides. Adulterated liquor also causes blindness. Chronic alcohol abuse increases the risk for many types of cancer.

There are approximately 15 gms of alcohol in a 1-1/2 oz of 80 proof liquor, 5 oz table wine, and 12 oz beer. In recent times, fashion has changed away from the "harder" drinks like whisky to beer. In fact, bottled Perrier water is currently a high fashion drink in Europe!

Alcohol is metabolised by the liver first, to acetaldehyde, then to acetate, and finally to carbon dioxide and water. Toxins are produced in these reactions, which harm the cells. Abnormalities in lipid metabolism are caused in both alcoholics and moderate drinkers.

Alcohol also impairs the metabolism of glucose, and causes a deficiency of Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate and Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Vitamins A & C, D and K also become deficient in alcohol related malnutrition. Iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc, are other important trace elements, which are reduced due to excessive alcohol intake.

In addition alcohol affects the heart muscle, causes an irregular heartbeat - the famous "holiday heart syndrome," because it occurs around holidays such as New Year's Eve!

An average consumption of 3-4 alcoholic drinks a day, cause an increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The triglycerides in the blood, also rise, with too much alcohol ingestion. Some evidence shows that a moderate alcohol consumption reduces the rate of non fatal heart attacks. However more recent studies are attempting to study this phenomenon further. Overall, alcohol in excess still does more harm than good!

Finally pregnant women should avoid alcohol, because of the risk of foetal defects. Foetal alcohol syndrome where abnormalities are caused in new born babies is well documented.

The new James Bond perhaps, does not drink as much as the older version. Perrier with a dash of lime maybe or some exotic mocktail. For his fans he has to stay fit and healthy! Try these mocktails. They are quite delicious!