14: alcohol

what is alcohol

narcotic that depresses CNS

chemical name of alcohol

ethanol

3 types of alcohol: name, what it is, where kcals come from

beer: malted cereal grains, kcals from carbs and alcohol

wine: fermented grape juice, kcals from alcohol

distilled: ethanol: kcals from alcohol

positive implications of alcohol consumption

social drug, relaxation, can reduce risk of CVD

negative implications of alcohol consumption

potential for abuse and dependency, damage organs, inhibit decision making process

cutoff for moderate drinking in females and males

1 drink/day for females, 2 for males

cutoff for binge drinking in females and males

4 or more drinks for females, 5 for males

how much energy does alcohol yield

7 kcal/g

how many grams of alcohol in 1 drink

14

how does fermentation of alcohol work

yeast, water, and carbs → yeast multiplies using carbs and oxygen → alcohol and CO₂ created → continue until sugar is depleted or alcohol kills yeast

how is alcohol processed

doesn’t require digestion

20% absorbed by diffusion, the rest absorbed in the small intestine

name the first hepatic pathway of alcohol metabolism

ADH: alcohol dehydrogenase

what happens in the ADH pathway

90% alcohol metabolism - can be overloaded with excessive drinking

name the second hepatic pathway of alcohol metabolism

MEOS: microsomal ethanol oxidizing system

what happens in the MEOS pathway

activated by liver when ADH is overwhelmed, increases with increasing alcohol intake

increase efficiency of alcohol metabolism, needs energy to function

negative effects of MEOS pathway

reduce liver’s capacity for metabolizing drugs because alcohol takes priority, increase risk for drug interactions and toxicities

how is energy used in alcohol function

NADPH + H⁺ → NADP⁺

what variables influence metabolism of alcohol

gender, race, size, food in stomach, alcohol content