Acute effects of alcohol ingestion on the human serum concentrations of calcium and magnesium.

Alcohol has been shown to reduce serum calcium concentrations in several animal studies. In humans, using relatively low doses of alcohol, however, the results were inconclusive. In addition, the effect of alcohol consumption on serum magnesium concentrations is controversial. To elucidate the influence of alcohol ingestion on serum calcium and magnesium in humans 43 intoxicated patients and seven healthy volunteers who had not previously ingested alcohol were studied. There was an inversely related diminuition of serum calcium and magnesium concentrations with increasing serum alcohol. These effects of alcohol may play a role in the metabolic and clinical disorders observed in severely intoxicated people.