Objective: The effects of moderate alcohol intake on antioxidant content of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and the susceptibility of LDL to oxidative modification were examined in 12 healthy adult males.
Design: Volunteers abstained from alcohol for 3 weeks and then 12 subjects (alcohol intake group) consumed alcohol (0.5 g/kg/day) as brandy for 4 weeks; 4 subjects (control abstinence group) did not consume any alcohol for the entire study.
Results: In the alcohol intake group, plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), phospholipids (PL), free cholesterol (FC) and apoprotein B (apoB) levels in LDL decreased significantly after alcohol intake; however, since TC/apoB, TG/apoB, PL/apoB and FC/apoB ratios did not change significantly, it is clear that LDL particle numbers decreased. Vitamin E and vitamin A levels in plasma, and vitamin E content of LDL also did not change significantly. Beta-carotene levels in plasma and in LDL decreased significantly in the alcohol intake group. In the abstinence group, lipid levels and vitamin levels did not change. Lag time before the onset of LDL oxidation and propagation rate of LDL oxidation in the alcohol intake group did not change significantly.
Conclusions: Moderate alcohol intake decreases particle numbers of LDL without any changes in chemical composition, vitamin E content and susceptibility of LDL to oxidative modification. However, beta-carotene content was decreased significantly by even moderate alcohol intake.