The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-13

A number of readers who do not wish to put on more weight are worryied about the calories in beer, wine, whiskey and soda highball, cocktails and the like. One likes dry sauterne, Rhine wine, chianti, etc., and would like to know how much, when and with what one should take these so as to add no more weight. Another consumes a glass of beer, or a highball, or a glass of sweet wine, or a cocktail now and then, at parties, but being lon a diet" she wants assurance that these little extras will not in- crease her caloric intake. On the other hand, young man writes that he has gained many pounds in weight since he started drinking beer, although he had tried for years to gain weight but in vain until he discovered beer.
 A glass of beer yields 130 cal ories, provided all the alcohol in 1t is oxidized in the body, that is, utilized as fuel. There is approxi- mately one-third of an ounce of alcohol in a glass (half pint) of beer of 4% alcoholic strength. Few persons, aside from inebriates who drink excessively and desire and can take or retain but little food so long as they can get plenty of | liquor, are capable of metabolizing, utilizing, oxidizing, burning more than onS-eighth of an ounce of al cohol in an hour. So 1t is obvious that when more alcohol is taken than the body can oxidize, the ex- cess is excreted as alcohol, and the unburned alcohol intoxicates. Whenever you can detect the odor of alcohol on the breath, that is the best evidence of intoxication.
 Whiskey contains from 45 to 50 per cent of alcohol. Brandy about the same. Gin contains 60 to 70 per cent alcohol. In fact much gin today is actually alcohol diluted with less than one-third water and favored with juniper oil. Wines contain from to 30 per cent al- cohol.
 A gram of alcohol oxidized or burned yields calories, or say an ounce yields 200 calories. Within limitations a small amount of al- cohol, burned in the body protects corresponding amounts of fat, pro- tein or carbohydrate from oxida- tion. So there you have the fatten- ing effect of moderate or occasional drinking.
 | A glass of beer is equivalent to, say, 3-4 of a glass Of milk. One propagandist for alcohol asserted that a highball is equivalent to a plate of ham and eggs in nutritive value. but I think we must dis count that by one good slice of ham. Say it is equivalent to Q hired man size slab of apple pie.
 Compared with sugar or starch, which yields ( calories to the gram. and protein which yields calories to the gram, and fat which yields 9.4 calories to the gram, alcohol yeilds calories to the gram. On estimating the ''fattening" effect of beer. wine or liquor we must al- ways bear In mind the strictly iim- tied capacity of the body to oxidize and utilize alcohol In place of real food or body fat. it makes those who are already fat fatter and fiab- bier, but those who need to gain had better interest themselves in foods the body can utilize.
 QuEsTIQNg AND ANSWERS
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 Please tell me what will cure skin cancer on the face. (P. D. T.)
 Answer--Taken early, x-rays ra. dium. diathormy. aoIidiiied carbon diaxIdo. solar nnnfoFy. eieoir0- doa. aieasion, even chemical eoaeuiaiien