Alcoholism and nutrition: a seminar.
Malnutrition and alcoholism are commonly associated. Thirty years ago, researchers considered the possibility that malnutrition promotes alcoholism, yet more recently, this theory has been abandoned. Indeed, it is now generally accepted that vitamin therapy does not reduce addiction to alcohol in man. Malnutrition is now considered a result of chronic alcohol consumption. The pathogenesis of malnutrition, however, is complex and may be related to nutritional intake, digestion and absorption, tissue transport, organ injury, nutrient catabolism, direct effects of ethanol, and genetic predisposition. Many of these complex interactions are illustrated by the articles presented in this seminar.