Dietary and lifestyle habits of drinkers and alcoholic beverage preference

Although the detrimental effects of heavy drinking in terms of health are well-documented in the literature, there are inconsistent findings regarding the safety of light-to-moderate alcohol consumption. In particular, little is still known about the consumption of specific alcoholic beverages in combination with dietary habits and lifestyle, which in turn could influence health status. A review published in the open access journal, Vine and Wine, summarises and critically evaluates the evidence of a relationship between preference for alcoholic beverages and consumer dietary and lifestyle habits.
A literature search identified 26 articles as suitable for inclusion in the review. The adherence to a healthier diet and lifestyle was generally observed in light-to-moderate alcohol consumers, especially when wine was the preferred beverage. Considering the potentially strong impact of drinking patterns on health and the risk of developing chronic diseases, the data summarised in this review highlight that alcoholic beverage preferences, drinking patterns, dietary patterns and lifestyle should be studied together. Any future epidemiological studies should analyse the relationship between alcohol consumption and the abovementioned correlations with respect to impact on health.
Source: Kosti, R. I., Di Lorenzo, C., Panagiotakos, D. B., Sandeman, G., Frittella, N., Iasiello, B., Teissedre, P.-L. ., & Restani, P. (2021). Dietary and lifestyle habits of drinkers with preference for alcoholic beverage: does it really matter for public health? A review of the evidence. OENO One, 55(4). doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2021.55.4.4757