Recent studies show that moderate use of alcohol may have a beneficial effect on the coronary system. In general, for healthy people, one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men would be considered the maximum amount of alcohol consumption to be considered moderate use. (By healthy people, I am referring to non-pregnant women, individuals not addicted to alcohol, and people without pre-existing medical conditions, among others). However, the amount of alcohol that a person can drink safely is highly individual, depending on genetics, age, sex, weight and family history, etc. A drink is considered to be:
- 4-5 ounces of wine
- 10 ounces of wine cooler
- 12 ounces of beer
- 1-1/4 ounces of distilled liquor (80 proof whiskey, vodka, scotch, or rum)
Drinking too much on a single occasion or over time, can take a serious toll on your health. Here are some ways that alcohol can negatively affect your body:
Brain
Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.
Pancreas
Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion.
Heart
Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, causing problems including:
Cardiomyopathy – Stretching and drooping of heart muscle
Arrhythmias – Irregular heart beat
Stroke
High blood pressure
However, research also shows that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may protect healthy adults from developing coronary heart disease.
Liver
Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including:
- Steatosis, or fatty liver
- Fibrosis
- Cirrhosis
- Alcoholic hepatitis
Cancer
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of developing certain cancers, including cancers of the:
- Mouth
- Esophagus
- Throat
- Liver
- Breast
- Rectum
Immune System
Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who do not drink too much. Drinking a lot on a single occasion slows your body’s ability to ward off infections, even up to 24 hours after getting drunk.
More Effects Of Alcohol On The Body
How Alcohol Affects Your Appearance
Overindulging in alcohol can also affect the way you look, the next day and in the future. This goes way beyond glassy eyes as alcohol is fattening, for example a pint of 4% beer or two double gin & tonics equals around one burger! So if you are going to drink, you must drink in moderation, and you can also use My Drink Aware to find out the caloric value of your favourite cocktails and what the equivalent of those calories are in junk food. It will also help you keep track of what you’re drinking over time and so you can set yourself goals for cutting back so you’re drinking within healthy guidelines.
Alcohol & Your Skin
Alcohol dehydrates your body and this includes the skin, otherwise known as your body’s largest organ, and this happens every time you drink. Drinking too much will also deprive the skin of vital vitamins & nutrients. Over time, drinking heavily can have other, more permanent, detrimental effects on your skin, such as Rosacea which is a skin disorder that starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily and can eventually lead to facial disfigurement. Check out the pictures of over consumption of alcohol below:
Alcohol can also cause your face to look bloated and puffy, while bloating your stomach as well. And then there’s the little issue of cellulite, as the toxins in alcohol contribute to its build up. Women, if you don’t remove your make-up after a night of drinking, you’ll be more prone to spots too. Never mind your glassy, bloodshot eyes.
The Funky Odor
WAIT, there’s more! People who are hungover don’t smell like a summer breeze either. The liver processes most of the alcohol you drink, but some of it leaves the body straight through your breath, sweat and urine. This allows the body to recover from the physical effects that alcohol causes, such as dehydration. Another telltale sign of alcohol consumption is your breath smelling of whatever you have drank, resulting in breathalyser tests.
Bottom Line
Constant alcohol abuse can lead to ailments ranging from depression, to the extremes of complete liver failure and, in turn, death. These are generally a by-product of alcoholism: A ‘disease’ that will take away practically everything that you cherish in life. Alcoholics become shells of their former selves, with relationships ruined, career prospects crushed and, not to mention, the crippling health risks. So when you next go crack open that bottle of beer, think about how many you have already drank and how many more you intend to drink.
By keeping a mental note of how much you have been drinking, you are
far less likely to drink stupendous amounts and you will eventually find
out exactly how much you need to get to the pleasant stage of
drunkenness. However, you must remember that this method will only be
effective if you don’t end up drinking such an amount that you get a
case of alcohol-induced amnesia!