Alcohol abuse can have a detrimental effect on the body, including interfering with the absorption of essential vitamins. Vitamin A, E, and D are absorbed along with dietary fats, but alcohol inhibits fat absorption and thus hinders the absorption of these vitamins. Vitamin A deficiency may be associated with night blindness, and vitamin D deficiency is associated with bone softening. Alcohol also prevents the pancreas from absorbing vitamin C, which interferes with normal cellular action and predisposes the pancreas to disease.
Heavy drinkers often think that a diet rich in these nutrients or taking replacement pills can prevent or reverse the effects of nutritional deficiency, but chronic alcohol consumption will also affect the absorption of these vitamins. Excessive alcohol consumption depletes the body of necessary nutrients and vitamins, exacerbating other symptoms of alcohol abuse and making you feel miserable. The worse you feel, the more likely you are to seek relief with alcohol. Keeping your body healthy can protect you from these types of temptations.
Research shows that some food and drink combinations improve the body's ability to absorb vitamins. Once alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and small intestine and, eventually, into the cells, it can alter the water balance of muscle cells and, therefore, alter their ability to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy source of the muscles. Alcohol affects the sleep cycle by disrupting the sequence and duration of normal sleep, reducing the brain's ability to learn and retain information. Not only does alcohol lack protein, minerals and vitamins, it also inhibits the absorption and use of vital nutrients such as thiamine (vitamin B), vitamin B12, folic acid, and zinc. Many people take multivitamins to supplement their diet, or fill nutritional gaps.
Thiamine (vitamin B) is involved in the metabolism of proteins and fats and in the formation of hemoglobin. Plant-based iron is better absorbed by the body when combined with vitamin C, for example, and vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Drinking alcohol regularly can contribute to weight gain and obesity,5 which increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and 13 types of cancer. In conclusion, alcohol abuse can interfere with essential vitamins in a variety of ways. It can inhibit fat absorption which hinders absorption of vitamins A, E, and D; prevent pancreas from absorbing vitamin C; deplete body of necessary nutrients; disrupt sleep cycle; inhibit absorption of vital nutrients such as thiamine (vitamin B), vitamin B12, folic acid, and zinc; contribute to weight gain; increase risk of heart disease; stroke; type 2 diabetes; and 13 types of cancer.
