Inadequate intake by growing rats of essential nutrients from liquid diets used for chronic alcohol consumption

In most studies on the biological effects of chronic alcohol ingestion, young rats were fed liquid diets containing 36% calories as ethanol. These diets were considered nutritionally adequate. However, the daily weight gain of alcohol-fed rats is small (2–4 g) as compared to that in rats maintained on an AIN-76 or NIH-07 diet (7 g). Alcohol-fed rats consume not only less calories but also less calcium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus and vitamin B₆ than those required for normal growth. A possible deficiency in the intake of other essential nutrients may also exist during chronic alcohol consumption.