Another piece in the puzzle: J-shaped association between moderate wine consumption and “dangerous” fat depots

The association between the consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially wine, and the risk for cardiovascular diseases consistently follows a J-shaped curve. This means that the lowest risks have been observed with light and moderate consumption, however, the risks increase slightly with abstinence and increase considerably with excessive consumption.

Too much body fat increases the disease risk. Since there are different types of fat depots in the body, which are related to different risk profiles, the current study examined whether there is an association between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and “dangerous” fat depots. Fat depots which have accumulated outside the fatty tissues, are called ectopic fat. These are considered independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The question arises whether there is an association between the consumption of wine/alcoholic beverages and these “fat depots in the wrong place”.

The human fatty tissue under the skin (subcutanous) is the physiological place for fat deposits, which serve as important energy reserves during times of need such as during the night and in between meals. However, when eating excessively over the long-term and consuming a large amount of easily digestible carbohydrates (sugar and starch), the excess fat can also be stored in and around other organs. Mainly the liver but also the heart, the space between the muscles and the interior of the abdomen (visceral fat) are affected. The problem is that these so-called ectopic fat depots are very volatile, they are prone to inflammation, and they damage the function of the organs in the long-term.

American researchers used data of the cross-sectional MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) study to examine the relationship between self-reported intake of alcoholic beverages and (computed tomography-derived) ectopic fat depots.