Effects of Alcohol on Body

Alcohol is the intoxicating ingredient in wine beer and liquor, which all contain different amounts of alcohol. Recently it’s been shown that the moderate use of alcohol can be beneficial. One drink a day for women and two for men should be the maximum amount consumed to be able to fall under that “moderate” heading. Pregnant women do not fall under this category, neither do alcoholics nor people on medications which should not be taken with alcohol.

The amount of alcohol that someone can drink without ill effects will be dependent on factors such as age, sex and weight.

Alcohol is absorbed rapidly. It does not need to be digested like food and enters the bloodstream quickly. About 20% of the alcohol will be absorbed through the stomach when it is empty, and reach the brain in less than a minute. Another 10% of the alcohol is passed in urine and expelled through breathing and sweating.

The upper portion of the small intestine absorbs the alcohol most rapidly. This blood then travels to the liver from the digestive tract and affects every cell in the liver. Alcohol does affect every organ in the body but its most dramatic effect is on the liver. Liver cells run on fatty acids as fuel, which are then transported to other tissues in the body. When alcohol is present the liver has to metabolize the alcohol before the fatty acids, which means these fatty acids accumulate in large amounts waiting to be processed. Overuse of alcohol can cause permanent damage to the structure of liver cells, which then impacts the ability for the liver to metabolize fatty acids. The liver can metabolize about one drink an hour effectively, any more than that and the excess alcohol travels throughout the body until the liver is able to process it.

Constant heavy drinking will damage the liver which becomes clogged with fat and is less efficient for doing other vital tasks. This accumulation of fatty acids is the first sign of liver damage in heavy drinkers and deters the distribution of oxygen and vital nutrients to the cells in the liver.

Alcohol contains calories, but these calories contain no nutrients. A heavy drinker who consumes large amounts of alcohol is very unlikely to eat properly.

There are numerous other ill effects of heavy alcohol consumption – heart disease, kidney disease, malnutrition, obesity and serious psychological problems such as depression and insomnia.

Read about how five former addicts overcame their addictions at Addiction Recovery Interviews and learn more at Drug And Alcohol Resources


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