Posted: November 19th, 2016

How might Brian’s alcohol intake be affecting his nutrition status?

Brian is a 21 year-old college student who weighs 170 pounds and is 5 feet 10 inches tall. He lives with several roommates in a house near his campus. Brian leads a moderately active lifestyle by playing basketball and occasionally lifting weights at the campus gym. He enjoys eating pizza or burgers and drinking beers with his friends. However, Brian thinks that the pizza and burgers are not healthy foods, so occasionally he changes dietary gears. For a day or two Brian nearly fasts. However, on these fasting days, he still allows himself to drink beer, and once a day he has a small bowl of cooked carrots and peas. Generally Brian hasn’t been feeling his best: he has trouble sleeping, especially when he does his “fast,” and notices his gums bleed after brushing his teeth. To figure out what is causing these symptoms he looks at his food intake on a particular, and typical, Saturday. It is as follows: Breakfast: Two frosted strawberry Pop Tarts Super 20 ounce Gatorade Lunch: Big Mac Supreme Super Size fries Super size Coke Apple pie Afternoon snack: Two cans Bud Light beer Dinner: Three slices of Pizza Hut Supreme pan pizza Eight cans Bud Light beer Snack: One slice Pizza Hut Supreme pan pizza Here is an analysis of his diet: Nutrient Amount %RDA Calories 4446 153 Protein 114 g 197 Dietary Fiber 18.9 g — Vitamin A 424 RE 42 Thiamin – B1 3.18 mg 212 Riboflavin – B2 3.29 mg 194 Niacin – B3 45 mg 237 Vitamin B6 2.41 mg 185 Vitamin B12 5.2 mcg 260 Folacin 472 mcg 118 Vitamin C 51.5 mg 86 Vitamin D 1.06 mcg 11 Vitamin E 21 mg 210 Calcium 1600 mg 133 Iron 24.8 mg 248 Magnesium 361 mg 103 Phosphorus 1670 mg 139 Zinc 9.5 mg 86 Alcohol 113 g — Calorie Breakdown %kcal Protein 10 Carbohydrate 45 Fat 27 Alcohol 18 Assignment: Answer each of the following questions in the text box provided at the end of the lesson. Please number each of the questions. Which water-soluble vitamins does Brian have too much or too little of? Would you recommend that Brian take supplements for the vitamins he lacks in his diet? Why or why not? Why does Brian have trouble sleeping, especially when he restricts his diet? What can he do to stop his gums from bleeding so easily? How might Brian’s alcohol intake be affecting his nutrition status?