Chapter 9: Alcohol

Malt liquor

alcoholic liquor made from malt by fermentation rather than distillation; beer with a relatively high alcohol content.

Alcohol dementia

an alcohol related organic brain syndrome with a global decline of intellect due to a generalized loss of brain tissue

Delirium tremens

an alcohol withdrawal syndrome that includes hallucinations and tremors (severe cases including at least stage 3)

Detoxification

an early treatment stage, in which the body eliminates the alcohol or other substance

Alcohol dehydrogenase

an enzyme present in the stomach that converts alcohol to acetaldehyde. is more active in men which makes women more susceptible to alcohol's effects (part of the metabolic system). the major factor determining the rate of alcohol metabolism

Speakeasy

an illegal liquor store or nightclub during Prohibition

Primary disease

an important consequence of defining alcohol dependence as this is to recognize that the drinking itself is the problem and that treatment and prevention should be aimed directly at alcohol abuse/dependence

Cirrhosis

an irreversible, frequently deadly liver disorder associated with heavy alcohol use. usually takes about 10 years of steady drinking. not all alcohol related, but most. 7th leading cause of death in US

Cordials

another word for liqueurs

Wernicke's disease

associated with a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B) and can sometimes be corrected nutritionally. symptoms include confusion, ataxia, and abnormal eye movements

Hops

dried blossoms from only the female hop plant. added to with the yeast to give beer its distinctive, pungent flavor

DUI

driving under the influence of alcohol

Brandy

Europeans distilled wine into this (13th century times). first type of spirit known to Europeans

Blush wines

have become quite popular. uses a red grape, the skins are left in the crushed grapes for a short while, resulting in a wine that is just slightly pink ex: white zinfandel

Binge drinking

having 5 or more drinks on the same occasion. 5 days of this within a month = heavy drinking

Pasteurization

heating beer to remove the yeast so it doesn't spoil after packaging

Acute physiological toxicity

in the form of alcohol overdose occurs quite often if you include people who drink enough to become physically ill and/or to experience hangovers

Prohibition

laws prohibiting all sales of alcoholic beverages in the US from 1920 to 1933. did not stop people from drinking. creation of speakeasys, hip flasks, and bathtub gin. organized crime became more organized and more profitable. did reduce overall alcohol intake

Blended whiskey

made from about 2/3 straight whiskey and 1/3 grain neutral spirits ex: Seagrams

Mead

made from honey, the oldest alcoholic beverage

Brewpubs

make beer for sale only on the premises. make "craft" beer. began in early 1980s (starts with B)

Microbreweries

make beer for sale only on the premises. make "craft" beer. began in early 1980s (starts with M)

Ardent

means "burning," "fiery" comes from Benjamin Rush's 1784 pamphlet An Inquiry into the Effects of Ardent Spirits on the Mind and Body. wrote the first negative view of alcohol and first to introduce concept of addiction

Extra

means "not" as in extraordinary. how sweet champagnes are labeled.

Alcohol dependence

more serious psychosocial characteristics and includes the physiological factors of tolerance and withdrawal among the possible symptoms

Alcohol myopia

nearsightedness. after drinking, people tend to focus more on the hear and now and to pay less attention to peripheral people and activities, and to long term consequences

Hangover

not very well understood. occurs the morning after a night of heavy drinking. symptoms: upset stomach, fatigue, headache, thirst, depression, anxiety, and general malaise. could be symptoms of withdrawal. could be reactions to congeners

Ale

one of the types of beer. made using a top-fermenting yeast and slightly warmer temperatures, and the shorter fermentation time results in more flavor of the malt being retained in the final product. has stronger taste

Lager

one of the types of beer. most of the beer sold in America today. made using bottom-fermenting yeasts, cool temperatures, and slower fermentation. has lighter taste

Varietals

one type of American wine. named after one variety of grape, which by law must make up at least 51% of the grapes used in producing the wine. chardonnay, merlot, and zinfandel are some examples. traditionally sold in individual bottles and are more expensive

Generics

one type of American wine. usually have names taken from European land areas where the original wines were produced. they are all blended wines, made from whatever grapes are available, and during processing they are made to taste something like the traditional European wines from those regions

Congeners

other alcohols and oils contained in alcoholic beverages. present in small amounts, some are toxic

Acetaldehyde

part of the metabolic system. converted fairly rapidly by aldehyde dehydrogenase to acetic acid. its quite toxic. might cause some of the physiological effects now attributed to alcohol

Blackout

periods during alcohol use in which the drinking individual appears to function normally but later, when the individual is sober, he or she cannot recall any events that occurred during that period

Rye whiskey

until Prohibition was almost all the whiskey consumed in the US

Distribution

when taken into the body, its how alcohol gets to the body fluids such as blood. does not go into fatty tissue

Whiskey

Irish and Scots distilled their multi-grain beverages (beer) into this (13th century times)

Aqua vitae

"the water of life" the Latin name given to these condensed vapors by a 13th century French professor of medicine. believed to have medicinal value

Fetal alcohol effect

(FAE) individual developmental abnormalities associated with the mother's alcohol use during pregnancy. all alcohol related birth defects

Grain neutral spirits

- a clear liquid that is essentially tasteless (except for the strong alcohol taste), which might be sold in small quantities as Everclear or for use in medicine or research - contain relatively few congeners and none of the flavor of the grains used in the mash

Alcohol

- has a lower boiling point than water - comes from Arabic word meaning "finely divided spirit" - depresses the CNS - releases people from their inhibitions

Beer

- made by adding barley malt to other cereal grains, such as ground corn or rice. - the enzymes in the malt change the starches in these grains to sugars; then the solids are filtered out before yeast is added to the mash to start fermentation. - then hops are added - two broad types: ale & lager - typical American drink contains about 4% alcohol

Wine

- one of humankind's oldest beverages - two basic types of in America: generics & varietals - usually about 12%

Alcoholics Anonymous

a 60 year old book that described the experiences of a small group of people who formed a society whose only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. that society has grown to include 1.5 million members in over 100 countries

Bourban

a distilled spirit first produced in the 18th century in Kentucky. created by a Baptist minister named Elijah Craig. he began storing his whiskey in charred new oak barrels, originating a manufacturing step still used today

Alcohol abuse

a maladaptive pattern of use indicated by continued use despite knowledge of having persistent problems caused by alcohol

Proof

a measure of a beverage's alcohol content; twice the alcohol percentage

Blood alcohol concentration

a measure of the concentration of alcohol in blood, expressed in grams per 100 ml, expressed as a percentage. also called blood alcohol level

Vodka

a mixture of grain neutral spirits and water, adjusted to the desired proof

Fatty liver

a not so serious condition where fatty acids (lipids) accumulate in the liver and are stored as small droplets in liver cells. fatty acids are the usual fuel for the liver, but when alcohol is present it has a higher priority and is used as fuel instead. completely reversible

Disease model

alcohol dependence as a progressive disease characterized by a loss of control over drinking and that the disease can never be cured. the only treatment is to abstain from drinking. has been endorsed by the American Medical Association

Champagne

carbonated sparkling wine. made by either adding a small amount of sugar as the wine is bottled because carbon dioxide is produced during fermentation OR carbon dioxide gas is injected into a generic wine during bottling

Malt

cereal grains contain starch rather than sugar, and before fermentation can begin the starch must be converted to sugar. this is accomplished by making ___, which contains enzymes that convert starch into sugar. "barley or other grain that has been steeped, germinated, and dried, used especially for brewing or distilling and vinegar-making." -google

Korsakoff's psychosis

characterized by an inability to remember recent events or to learn new information. can appear by itself in patients who maintain adequate nutrition, and it appears to be mostly reversible.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

chronic mental impairments produced by heavy alcohol use over a long period of time. an alcohol related organic brain syndrome with two parts. there is great controversy about the specific brain areas that are damaged

Wet versus dry

conflicting beliefs that Prohibition either led to an increase in illegal activity and did not do what it was supposed to OR that Prohibition benefited American greatly

Cardiomyopathy

damage to the heart muscle

Fetal alcohol syndrome

facial and developmental abnormalities associated with the mother's alcohol use during pregnancy three primary criteria 1. growth retardation 2. pattern of abnormal features of the face and head 3. evidence of CNS abnormality

Balanced placebo design

half the study participants are given mixed drinks that contain alcohol, while the other half gets similar tasting drinks without alcohol. each of those groups is divided in half, with some being told they are getting alcohol (whether they are or not) and others being told they are testing a nonalcoholic drink. makes it possible to determine which effects are actually produced by alcohol and which by belief that one has consumed alcohol

Absorption

happens to some alcohol in the stomach, but most responsible is the small intestine. the rate depends primarily on the concentration of alcohol. slowed by plain water, if just eaten a meal. sped up by carbonated liquids

Sherry

sealing wine in charred oak casks for aging further which refines its taste. if enough brandy is added to a newly fermented wine the fermentation will stop and the wine will not spoil. alcohol content is near 20%

Liqueur

similar to fortified wines. originally made from brandy mixed with flavorings derived from herbs, berries, or nuts. after dilution with sugar and water, the beverages are highly flavored, sweet, and usually about 20-25% alcohol

Abstinence violation effect

the belief that alcohol abusers will lose control if they drink which is why they then lose control

Brut

the driest champagne

Distillation

the evaporation and condensing of alcohol vapors to produce beverages with higher alcohol content. necessary to obtain alcohol concentrations above 15%. a process in which the solution containing alcohol is heated, and the vapors are collected and condensed into liquid form again

Temperance

the idea that people should drink beer or wine in moderation but drink no hard liquor. a movement in the early 1800s

Fermentation

the production of alcohol from sugars through the action of yeasts. forms the basis for all alcoholic beverages

Withdrawal syndrome

the set of symptoms that occur reliably when someone stops taking a drug (4 stages)