Beer, wine, and spirits differentially influence body composition in older white adults-a United Kingdom Biobank study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Longitudinal observational cohort study using UK Biobank data
PubMed 36238230 · doi:10.1002/osp4.598
What was done
Researchers analyzed data from 1,869 White participants aged 40 to 80 years (59% male) within the longitudinal UK Biobank cohort. Participants self-reported dietary, lifestyle, and alcohol intake (beer/cider, red wine, white wine/Champagne, and spirits) via touchscreen questionnaires. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure body composition parameters, including visceral adiposity and bone mineral density, alongside serum biomarker collection. Structural equation modeling was used to assess direct and indirect associations between specific alcohol types, biomarkers, and body composition outcomes.
What was found
Higher consumption of beer/cider and spirits was significantly associated with greater visceral adiposity (beta = 0.069, p < 0.001 and beta = 0.014, p < 0.001, respectively), mediated by markers of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Conversely, greater red wine consumption was associated with lower visceral adipose mass (beta = -0.023, p < 0.001), associated with reduced inflammation and higher high-density lipoproteins. White wine intake was associated with greater bone mineral density (beta = 0.051, p < 0.005).
Why it matters
This study suggests that health associations with alcohol may depend on the beverage type rather than total alcohol volume alone. It provides observational evidence that different alcoholic beverages have divergent relationships with visceral fat distribution and bone mineral density in aging adults.
Limits
The study is observational and cannot establish causality. The sample was restricted exclusively to White adults aged 40 to 80, limiting generalizability to other racial and ethnic groups or younger populations. Alcohol and dietary intake were self-reported, introducing potential recall and social desirability biases. While statistically significant, the reported effect sizes (betas between 0.014 and 0.069) were very small, and residual confounding by socioeconomic status, diet quality, or other lifestyle factors remains possible.
Cited by
- supports Consuming primarily beer or spirits is associated with greater visceral fat mass, whereas consuming red wine is associated with less visceral fat mass.
- supports In a UK Biobank analysis of almost 2,000 participants, red wine was associated with less visceral fat, lower inflammation, and higher HDL, while beer and spirits were associated with elevated visceral fat, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance.
- supports In an analysis of nearly 2,000 UK Biobank participants, white wine consumption was associated with greater bone mineral density.