Marilyn Harris <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I located an URL takes the view - which I have theorized about the enzyme -
>that it protects the body from the toxin, alcohol, found in our
>environment. However, it also says that it converts it into a useable
commodity for our cells, which would seem to suggest the alcohol-as-food
theory...

"Because beverage alcohol is oxidized and energy is liberated, it is
sometimes classified as a food. It is, however, a mistake to classify
alcohol with such important foods as proteins, fats, carbohydrates,
vitamins, and mineral salts... It cannot create new tissue, nor can it
repair injured tissue. It has no protective or regulating functions as have
vitamins and minerals. Hence,
alcohol should never be recommended as a
food." (Johns, Sutton and Webster. 1966. Health for Effective Living.
McGraw Hill.)

Fredrik