title: Moderate alcohol consumption reduces plasma C-reactive protein and fibrinogen levels; a randomized, diet-controlled intervention study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on the acute phase proteins C-reactive protein and fibrinogen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, diet-controlled, cross-over study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed at TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten middle-aged men and 10 postmenopausal women, all apparently healthy, non-smoking and moderate alcohol drinkers, were included. One women dropped out because of a treatment-unrelated cause. The remaining 19 subjects finished the experiment successfully.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men consumed four glasses and women consumed three glasses of beer or no-alcohol beer (control) with evening dinner during two successive periods of 3 weeks. The total diet was supplied to the subjects and had essentially the same composition during these 6 weeks. Before each treatment there was a 1 week washout period to compensate for possible carry-over effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma C-reactive protein and fibrinogen levels were decreased by 35% (P=0.02) and 12.4% (P< or =0.001), respectively, after 3 weeks' consumption of beer, as compared to no-alcohol beer consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate alcohol consumption significantly decreased plasma C-reactive protein and fibrinogen levels. An anti-inflammatory action of alcohol may help explain the link between moderate alcohol consumption and lower cardiovascular disease risk.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Dutch Foundation for Alcohol Research (SAR).
authors.affiliation: TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sierksma
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: van der Gaag
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kluft
authors.forename: H F J
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Hendriks
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D001515:Beer; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein