Chapter 7: Alcohol Flashcards
alcohol
a group of organic chemicals in which 1 or more hydroxyl (OH) groups are attached to the carbon atoms in place of the hydrogen atoms
types of alcohol
ethanol, glycerol, methanol, and isopropanol
ethanol
- ethyl alcohol
- found in alcoholic beverages
- considered safe for consumption
- excess can be toxic, can damage the body, and can be lethal
glycerol
- the backbone of triglycerides
- found in food and in the body
methanol
- found in industrial compounds
- antifreeze and fuel
- poisonous
isopropanol
- rubbing alcohol
- poisonous
go from sugar to alcohol
fermentation
fermentation of
natural sugars in grains (glucose and maltose) and fruits (glucose and fructose) by yeasts
yeast metabolizes glucose into
ethanol and carbon dioxide
carbon dioxide bubbles off and
a beverage containing alcohol is left
wine is made from
grapes
beer is made from
malted cereal grains (barley)
fermentation stops when
the alcohol content reaches 11-14%
distillation forms
liquors
fermented liquid is heated and ethanol vaporizes
vapors are collected and form liquor
alcohol content is indicated by
its proof
alcohol proof
the number reflects twice the alcohol content in the beverage
80 proof contains
40% alcohol
alcohol is not needed for survival
provides very little nutrition other than kcals
people drink for a variety of reasons
- social, ceremonial, traditional
- historically, wine and beer were safer to drink than water
- relaxation, celebration, social bonding
- signifies emergence into adulthood
- advertising influences beverage choices
moderate drinking is measured in terms of
a standard drink
a standard drink for beer is defined as
12 ounces of beer
a standard drink for malt liquor is defined as
8-9 ounces of malt liquor
a standard drink for liquor is defined as
1.5 ounces of liquor
a standard drink for wine is defined as
5 ounces of wine
latest dietary guidelines for Americans recommendations for males
up to 2 drinks per day
latest dietary guidelines for Americans recommendations for females
up to 1 drink per day
alcohol is absorbed
in the stomach (about 20%) and small intestine (the rest is absorbed here)
in the small intestine, the majority of alcohol is absorbed through the
duodenum
alcohol doesn’t require
digestion
alcohol doesn’t require digestion because it is
absorbed by simple diffusion through the gastric mucosa
the majority of alcohol is metabolized in the
liver
the amount and type of food in the stomach affects
how alcohol is absorbed
a partially full or full stomach keeps alcohol
away from the stomach lining
fat slows
peristalsis
CHO slows
absorption through the stomach lining (complex carbs and higher fiber)
the stomach is the first site of
alcohol metabolism
alcohol begins to metabolize in the stomach by
alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)
the rate at which alcohol is metabolized in the stomach is affected by
how quickly the stomach empties into the duodenum
longer time in stomach
more time to metabolize / less alcohol in the blood and brain
where is the main site of alcohol metabolism
the liver
the liver is the main site of alcohol metabolism
about 95%
the amount the liver can metabolize per hour is limited by
body mass and liver size
alcohol is metabolized through two pathways in the liver
the ADH pathway and the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS)
the ADH pathway
has two steps
step 1 of the ADH pathway
alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and NAD+ remove hydrogens from alcohol to form acetaldehyde
step 2 of the ADH pathway
- acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) removes more hydrogen and forms acetate
- acetate continues through metabolic pathways to form energy or is converted to a fatty acid and stored as fat
the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) is used when
there is too much alcohol and the liver enzymes cannot keep up (the ADH pathway can’t keep up)
chronic alcohol abuse increases the
number of enzymes in the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS)
what increases the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) pathway
- the more someone drinks
- the more frequent they drink
- the amount they drink
the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) is used to metabolize drugs and other foreign compounds
- the body takes precedence in metabolizing alcohol first over drugs
- so consuming alcohol and drugs together can result in lethal levels of drugs building up in the bloodstream
the more you drink the more active the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) becomes, this can result in
alcohol tolerance
alcohol circulates in the blood
some alcohol remains in the blood if the liver cannot metabolize it as fast as it is consumed
the liver metabolizes 95% of alcohol consumed, what happens to other 5%
5% is excreted through the lungs, skin, or kidneys through the urine
amount of alcohol expelled through the lungs correlates with
the amount of alcohol in the blood
blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
the amount of alcohol in the blood