Alcohol is a tricky thing: on the one hand, a glass of beer is simply an irreplaceable remedy for overexertion after a hard-working week. But on the other hand, this is an invisible but quite tangible blow to health, striking the most vulnerable parts of our body. Many doctors insist on refusing or at least minimizing drinking alcohol, but for so many of us, a cocktail at the party, a glass of wine on the weekends, or some whiskey in the evening after work does not seem to be a big deal. Is it really so? Let us figure out what effect alcohol consumption may have on our internal organs and health in general. Should we fully abandon drinking strong drinks, or if we do it from time to time, it will not do much harm. Let’s get started!

What happens to your body when you drink too much alcohol?

Alcohol contains the following toxic impurities: esters, aldehydes, fusel oils, free acids. Alcoholic drinks take away water from all cells of the body, with which it comes in contact. That is why we feel so thirsty the next day after a party.

Alcohol enters the bloodstream, and the person begins to get drunk. The gastric mucosa absorbs approximately 90% of the alcohol taken orally. Alcohol destroys the central nervous system. It changes the function of nerve cells, penetrating into them. Every second patient with alcoholism has an affected cardiovascular system.

Alcohol affects the pancreas, affects the liver, stomach, esophagus.

What body system does alcohol consumption affect the most?

The human brain suffers the most from alcohol, and alcohol abuse causes permanent brain damage.

It has been proven that one hundred grams of such drinks as whiskey or tequila kill 8,000 brain cells. As a result, the brain becomes smaller in volume, scars and ulcers appear on it, hemorrhages and voids are also possible.

The greatest influence of alcohol falls on the cerebral cortex. The higher nervous system suffers from this. A drunk person thinks hard and makes decisions difficult.

People who regularly drink too much alcohol experience disorders with their mental and emotional intelligence, controlling their emotions, expressing their thoughts, concentratingю

What are the negative effects of alcohol?

45% of people who are addicted to alcohol drinking die from heart attacks. The percentage of those drinkers who commit suicide is also not small. Death also occurs from diseases that arise from regular alcohol intake. It pushes for actions of a criminal nature, rash misconduct.

Alcohol is closely related to potency. Excessive drinking reduces attraction to the opposite sex and sexual activity.

Liver cancer, liver failure, liver disease, decreased mental health, weakened immune system, swelled blood vessels, high blood pressure, alcohol poisoning, blood clots, heavy or irregular breathing, etc., are just some of the possible alcohol effects.

What are the factors to fight alcohol abuse?

1. A blow to the cardiovascular system.

As soon as alcohol enters the body, the heart begins to increase in size (beer is especially insidious). Numerous scars appear on the tissues of the heart, which are the culprits of a heart attack and can lead to death.

2. Clouded mind.

It is not for nothing that alcohol is considered a type of narcotic substance: alcoholic beverages have a euphoric effect on the psyche, the duration of which ranges from an hour to an hour and a half. Soon after this, the person falls into a depressive state, accompanied by aggression and attacks of panic fear.

3. Destruction of brain cells.

Even a small amount of alcohol (yes, half a glass of wine also applies here) destroys several thousand neurons without the possibility of recovery.

4. Development of chronic diseases.

Doctors equate the effect of alcohol with a slow poison: the decomposition products of alcohol destroy the body in the literal sense of the word. Long-term alcohol dependence is the key to the development of such dangerous chronic diseases as pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cirrhosis, heart attack, and a host of other insidious diseases. Not the most promising prospect, is it?

5. Poor heredity.

Alcohol makes changes in the structure of the genetic code of DNA – it is it that contains information about a person and his descendants.

Final Word

As you can see, there are many reasons to decrease alcohol consumption or even refuse it altogether. Yes, alcohol has a relaxing effect. Yes, it loosens and removes internal clamps. But the harm that the body receives in parallel negates the already small benefits. In addition, you can relax in other ways – yoga, swimming, hot bath, sauna, massage or a leisurely walk in a calm green park are the best helpers in this matter. Take care of your own health now, and in the future, you will have many times more chances of avoiding a hospital bed and a host of other unpleasant “bonuses” acquired over the years of drinking alcohol.