Alcohol and the Human Body National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA

Through the ages, alcoholism has been undisputedly maintaining its position in the list of risk factors for preventable diseases in the world. According to a WHO report, 5.3% of all deaths that occurred worldwide in the year 2016 were because of harmful alcohol use [1]. It is the main culprit behind the advancing nature of many chronic diseases.

Whether you’re a light, moderate, or heavy drinker, alcohol can reduce bone mass. This article discusses the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol and how to change your drinking habits. Your body breaks alcohol down into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which damages your DNA. Damaged DNA can cause a cell to grow out of control, which results in cancerous tumors. Heavy drinking, including binge drinking, is a high-risk activity. Many people drink alcohol as a personal preference, during social activities, or as a part of cultural and religious practices.

What does alcohol do to your body?

By reducing self-consciousness and shyness, alcohol may encourage people to act without inhibition. At the same time, it impairs judgment and may promote behavior people may end up regretting (1, 2). No matter how severe the problem may seem, evidence-based treatment can help people with AUD recover. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), one “standard” drink in the United States contains approximately 14 grams of pure alcohol. While you may experience euphoria or relaxation at first, in the long run, alcohol affects neurotransmitters, which can lead to changes in your thoughts, moods, and behavior. Alcohol use suppresses the central nervous system and destroys neurons.

For this reason, your liver is particularly vulnerable to damage by alcohol intake (3). The truth is that the health effects of alcohol vary between individuals and may depend on the amount and type effects of alcohol on the body of alcohol consumed. This could help explain why women are more likely to have negative effects from alcohol. You can reduce your risk of alcohol injuries by choosing not to consume alcohol.

Conditions

The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink and its alcohol strength. This is because alcohol is toxic to the body, and the body is still working to get rid of the toxin. Intoxication impairs judgment and can result in inappropriate and illegal behaviors such as sexual promiscuity, disorderly conduct, driving while intoxicated and acts of violence. Drinking with a meal slows the rate of absorption, resulting in fewer side effects and less intoxication. It then travels to the brain, where it quickly produces its effects.

Alcohol seldom leaves any system untouched as far as leaving its impression is concerned, spanning from single tissue involvement to complex organ system manifestations. Almost all the major organs that make up a human’s physiological being are dramatically affected by the overconsumption of alcohol. There is an enormous overall economic cost that is paid for alcohol abuse all over the world. If a person consumes large amounts of alcohol regularly, their tolerance can increase, and the body requires more alcohol to achieve the desired effect. Doctors advise not drinking again within 48 hours of a heavy drinking session, to allow the body to recover.

Alcohol’s Effects on Health

Alcohol is a factor in 40% of fatal motor vehicle crashes, fatal falls, and suicides; 50% of severe trauma injuries and sexual assaults; and 60% of fatal burn injuries, homicides, and drownings. There are also studies that show light to moderate consumption of red wine may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), so-called “good cholesterol,” and reduce cholesterol buildup. Too much https://ecosoberhouse.com/ alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain. A heavy drinking binge may even cause a life-threatening coma or death. This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function. Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem.

Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group. Harmful use of alcohol is accountable for 7.1% and 2.2% of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among those aged 15 to 49 years, accounting for 10%
of all deaths in this age group. Disadvantaged and especially vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related death and hospitalization. Alcohol consumption contributes to 3 million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people.

Factors affecting alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm

Approximately 20 percent of people with alcohol-related fatty liver disease will progress to cirrhosis. In fact, because heavy drinking is a major cause of depression in some individuals, treating the underlying alcohol abuse may lead to big improvements (25, 26, 27). In heavy drinkers, binge drinking may cause your liver to become inflamed. In worst-case scenarios, liver cells die and get replaced with scar tissue, leading to a serious condition called cirrhosis (3, 6, 7). Liver diseases caused by alcohol consumption are collectively known as alcoholic liver diseases.