| Alcohol is highly calorific. It contains nearly double the | | | | paralysis of the eyes, short term memory problems |
| number of calories that protein does. While for many | | | | and balance difficulty. Korsakoff's syndrome can |
| regular drinkers it simply means piling on a few pounds, | | | | cause severe amnesia and confabulation. This means |
| the calorific nature of alcohol has huge implications for | | | | that the person will experience gaps in the memory |
| people whose drinking habits border on abuse. It is this | | | | and try to invent events and stories to fill in those |
| that can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. | | | | holes. |
| The body does not distinguish between calories from | | | | Thiamine deficiency can destroy glial cells and |
| drink and calories from food. This will mean that | | | | neurones, and damage the areas surrounding the |
| energy-wise, the body can cope well on a liquid diet. | | | | hippocampus in the brain. Since the hippocampus is |
| But alcoholic drinks do not contain other essential | | | | important for forming fresh memories, |
| nutritional components such as carbohydrates, fat, | | | | Wenicke-Korsakoff syndrome can cause chronic |
| protein or vitamins. Since people who are alcohol | | | | problems to the sufferer's mental facilities, and disrupt |
| dependent tend to have poor eating habits, often | | | | their quality of life. |
| eating very little at all when they are drinking | | | | Alcohol dependency is a serious and growing problem. |
| excessively, this can eventually lead to sever | | | | While Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is not currently |
| malnutrition. | | | | very well known there is a good chance that it will |
| Being severely malnourished can cause | | | | become increasingly common. If you think you or |
| Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is triggered by a | | | | someone you love is slipping into alcoholism it is |
| long term deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B). Advancing | | | | important to seek professional help as soon as |
| brain damage leads to Wernicke's encephalopathy, | | | | possible. Your family doctor will be able to help put you |
| which includes symptoms such as involuntary eye | | | | in touch with organisations which specialise in helping |
| movements, sometimes followed by full or partial | | | | alcoholics recover. |