Heavy Drinking Can Bring on Osteoporosis
Why should your bone doctor care about your drinking habits? Numerous studies, including one recently published in the journal Osteoporosis International, reveal that heavy drinking negatively impacts bone health and may even lead to osteoporosis in later life. The science shows that curbing the cocktails not only takes some backbone, but builds it as well.
The new study was conducted by French bone imaging and sports medicine specialists looking to find potential connections between heavy alcohol consumption and overall bone health. Previous studies examining the impact of light to medium alcohol consumption had yielded widely conflicting results, with some studies even claiming that minimal alcohol consumption actually increased bone density. Nevertheless, there is unanimous agreement when it comes to the deleterious effects of heavy drinking on skeletal health.
Effects of Alcohol on Bone Health
The first problem area is organ function. Regular alcohol intake (2-3 ounces per day) interferes with the stomach’s ability to absorb calcium. Heavy drinking also reduces proper absorption of calcium and vitamin D by the pancreas and hinders the liver’s role in activating those absorptions.
Heavy drinking was defined as 28 drinks per week and acute drinking was defined as close to 50 drinks in a week. This level of alcohol consumption was observed to cause apoptosis (cell death) in mineral producing osteocytes. Osteocytes are responsible for laying down new layers of bone tissue. Curtailed vitamin and mineral production is therefore directly responsible for thinning and weakening the skeleton, particularly load-bearing areas.
In addition to limiting calcium absorption by organs and decreasing the production of necessary vitamins and minerals, heavy drinking negatively impacts hormone levels. Hormones like cortisol reduce the formation of new bone, which normally occurs throughout a person’s life. Parathyroid hormone leaches what calcium there is out of healthy bones. Drinking large amounts of alcohol disrupts the natural levels of these and other hormones (like testosterone, estrogen and calcitonin), resulting in bone deterioration.
With less calcium getting in and more getting out, the bones of heavy drinkers become more brittle and vulnerable to frequent fracturing. Osteoporosis is more likely to occur in later years. For women, bone loss which naturally occurs during menopause is significantly increased.
Heavy drinkers who also smoke are in an even more precarious position since for them osteoporosis treatments are ineffective. On the positive side, studies have shown that smoking cessation can help a person to stop drinking. And, by the body’s beautiful design, those who end the abuse of these substances may actually experience bone recovery.
Heavy drinking is a losing proposition from any angle. Those who abuse alcohol are well-acquainted with the "enjoy today but pay tomorrow" fee for fun that drinking exacts. Studies like this one, which reveal how alcohol interferes with healthy body function, show us that the actual pay scale is really more akin to pay today, pay more tomorrow.
