Association of the Types of Alcoholic Beverages and Blood Lipids: A Community-Based Study

Although light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is considered beneficial, alcohol in binge doses or high cumulative lifetime consumption leads to cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and structural damage to various organs. Alcohol is known to alter blood lipid concentrations; however, the association of the types of alcohol, including the rice-based fermented alcohol, on the lipid profile has not been investigated extensively. We sought to determine the effects of cumulative lifetime consumption of Haria, an Indian rice-based fermented drink, Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), and a combination of the two on the blood lipid profiles of male participants from India. The effect of Haria alone on the blood lipids was also examined in the female group. A community-based study involving male (n = 86) and female (n = 31) participants, aged 20–60 from Jharkhand, India, was conducted to analyze the effect of different alcohol types on the levels of total serum cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The male and female participants who regularly consumed rice-based fermented alcohol showed no alteration in their lipid profile. However, IMFL and combination of IMFL and Haria consumption were associated with increased serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL levels (p < 0.05), and decreased HDL levels (p < 0.05). High cumulative lifetime consumption of rice-based fermented alcohol does not alter the blood lipid levels and appear as a safe alcoholic beverage. The consumption of other forms of alcohol, including whiskey, rum, brandy, and vodka, changed the blood lipid profile. © 2020, The National Academy of Sciences, India.