Moderate Alcohol Consumption, Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity

To investigate the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on

• enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis in skeletal muscle
• transporters of fatty acids and glucose in fat tissue
• post-prandial glycemic response in healthy, lean or overweight, young men

Design : Open, randomized, partially diet-controlled, placebo controlled cross-over design

Participants

• Description : Healthy, lean and overweight young (18-40 years) men
• Number : 20

Study substances

• Test substance : 100 ml whiskey (Famous Grouse, 40% v/v alcohol: ≈ 32 g alcohol)
• Reference substance : 100 ml mineral water (Spa blauw)

Duration: 2 treatment periods of 4 weeks (28 days)

Test parameters:

• Muscle biopsy for activity of 3-hydroxy fatty-acyl CoA dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, cytochrome c oxidase
• Postprandial glycemic response (glucose, insulin, GLP-1, GLP-2, GIP, glucagon, FFA etc.)
• Insulin sensitivity and related factors (oral glucose tolerance test, adiponectin, HbA1c)
• Liver enzymes (safety)
• Body weight
• Urinary ethyl glucuronide (compliance)

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy men aged between 18 and 40 years
• Lean subjects BMI 18.5-25 kg/m2 and overweight/obese subjects BMI >27 kg/m2 (including 18.5, 25 and 27)
• Alcohol consumption between 7 and 28 units/week (including 7 and 28)

Exclusion criteria

• Smoking
• Family history of alcoholism
• History of medical or surgical events that may significantly affect the study outcome, particularly metabolic or endocrine disorders and gastrointestinal disorders
• Recent blood donation
• More than 8 hours/week of intense exercise
• Blood haemoglobin concentration below 8.4 mmol/l
• Allergic to betadine or lidocaine.