Moderate consumption of red wine or spirits increases serum homocysteine concentrations. However, moderate consumption of beer does not cause such an increase, say Dr Henk Hendriks (department of nutritional physiology, TNO nutrition and food research institute, the Netherlands) and colleagues. Increased homocysteine concentrations coincide with increased cardiovascular risk.
Unlike wine and spirits, beer is a rich source of vitamin B6. The authors report that, in a trial of 11 men, changes in plasma vitamin B6 showed an inverse correlation to changes in homocysteine. They suggest that vitamin B6 may prevent the alcohol-induced rise in serum homocysteine (Lancet 2000; 355:1522).