A recent study found that male binge drinkers tend to decrease their intake of essential fatty acids as they increase their alcohol consumption, compounding their health risks, MedPage Today reported July 25.

Researcher Norman Salem Jr. of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and colleagues found that binge drinking was associated with declining intake of total saturated fatty acids, total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and total polyunsaturated acids (PUFA).

"The inverse association observed between binge drinking and n-3 fatty acid intake in our study implies that there may be adverse health effects on fatty acid intakes related to binge drinking in otherwise moderate drinkers," the authors wrote.

Salem said the study suggested that binge drinkers eat less fish -- a key source of n-3 fatty acids -- than the general population and that binge drinking may affect dietary choices. "For those who drink, especially binge drinkers or those who drink more than one drink per day on average, make sure that you obtain your sources of n-3 fatty acids in the diet; that is, eat more fish," Salem advised.

The article appeared in the August 2007 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.