The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake.

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic beverage drinking may increase total energy intake at a meal by various mechanisms and this effect may depend on the sort of beverage.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effect of wine, beer and a soft drink served with a normal meal on food and total energy intake in non-obese men.

DESIGN: A supper meal consisting of three consecutive dishes was presented to 22 young men. Ad libitum energy intakes (EI) of the meal were measured at three different occasions in a cross-over design with red wine, lager beer or a carbonated soft drink. This was done in two studies with different design. In the first study the beverages were supplied ad libitum and in a second study the intake of the beverages was fixed: beer and soft drink at 9 ml/kg body weight and wine isoalcoholic to beer, 3.185 ml/kg body weight.

RESULTS: In the ad libitum beverage study total EI was higher with wine than with the soft drink and beer (P<0.05). In the fixed beverage study differences in total EI did not reach statistical significance (P=0.14), although the intake of goulash was higher with wine and beer than with the soft drink (P<0.005).

CONCLUSION: These data indicate that alcoholic beverages, and wine in particular, may enhance total EI at a meal relative to a soft drink, when served with no restriction.