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Heavier Drinking Linked To Worse Diet Quality In Korean Adults

A national Korean survey of over 10,000 adults links heavier drinking and risky drinking patterns to measurably worse diet scores.

By Dr. Axe Editorial Team · October 16, 2026 · 1 source · Watch

Photo: Pexels

A Korean nationwide survey published October 15, 2026 in Nutrition Journal found heavy drinkers had 2.37 times the odds of poor dietary quality compared with people who never drink.

A cross-sectional survey of 10,019 Korean adults aged 19 and older, from the 2022-2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, linked drinking patterns to diet quality scored on the Korean Healthy Eating Index. Of participants, 75.6% were current drinkers: 57.2% light, 8.4% moderate, and 10.0% heavy. Compared with never drinkers, moderate drinkers had 1.89 times the odds of poor dietary quality and heavy drinkers had 2.37 times the odds, adjusted for other factors. Each additional standard drink (14 grams of ethanol) was linked to a 23% higher odds. Each one-point rise on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a risky-drinking questionnaire, was linked to a 3% higher odds. The pattern held across major beverage types among those reporting specific drinks.

The authors measured drinking patterns and diet scores at one point in time rather than testing a mechanism. As background, alcohol supplies calories without nutrients and heavier drinking may displace regular meals or shift eating toward food typically served alongside drinks. Korea's per-capita alcohol intake exceeds the global average, context the authors cite for relevance.

Odds of Poor Diet Quality by Drinking Level vs Never Drinkers

Nutrition Journal, 2026, Jung et al.

This cross-sectional design shows a link, not proof that drinking caused worse diet scores; reverse causation or shared factors like stress could contribute. Beverage-specific results applied only to those reporting chosen drinks. Funding came from a University of Massachusetts Amherst startup fund and a Hankuk University of Foreign Studies research fund; authors declared no competing interests.

Dr. Axe’s Take

This matches what the broader research on alcohol and nutrition keeps showing: drinking doesn't just add empty calories, it tends to crowd out real food. A 2.37-times higher odds of poor diet quality in heavy drinkers is a meaningful signal even from a single survey snapshot. My advice is to pair any drink with a protein and vegetable-forward meal rather than letting it replace one, and to be honest with yourself about frequency using something like the AUDIT questions referenced here. Cutting back on how often you drink does more for diet quality than switching what you drink.

— Dr. Axe

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Study summary

Who: 10,019 Korean adults aged 19 and older, 2022-2023 national health survey
Design: Cross-sectional survey, diet quality scored by the Korean Healthy Eating Index
Dose: Standard drink defined as 14 g ethanol; AUDIT questionnaire for risky drinking
Primary result: Heavy drinkers: 2.37x odds of poor diet quality; moderate drinkers: 1.89x odds, vs never drinkers
Secondary: Each added drink: +23% odds of poor diet quality; each AUDIT point: +3% odds; pattern held across beverage types
Funding / conflicts: Funded by a University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences startup fund and a Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Research Fund. The authors declare no competing interests.
Date: Oct 15, 2026