What it is:
In the body, alcohol is a highly absorbed substance, whether through the brain barrier, cell walls, fat, muscle, organs, or any other type of bodily tissue. Its permeable nature is able to cause a cascade of stress to bodily functions.
Each individual is different, with different circumstances and choices to be made regarding their consumption. Alcohol is not just a beverage but a social center of most cultures, celebrations, and connections that we are built around. It is used to reduce stress and inhibitions worldwide. We're not here to push an agenda but to give you the evidence and information available so you can make an informed choice for your lifestyle and health.
The effect on the body is not a mystery; it is a bomb that creates a destructive domino cascade throughout the organs, muscles, and bones. It also has residual mental and emotional consequences that can be noticeable for days after. Our finely tuned brain chemistry is massively affected at a molecular and hormonal level.
Although drinking has been around for hundreds of years and was even safer than water at one point, people also died from other illnesses much earlier in life, so the long-term effects of alcohol aren't as reasonably studied.
Purported claims:
Alcohol impacts multiple areas of the body, including but not limited to:
Gastrointestinal Tract
Mouth, throat, stomach, and intestine issues such as muscle or sphincter spasms (or even failure).
Inflammation and nutrient malabsorption.
Disruption of intestinal and mucosal barrier.
Pancreas and Liver
Inflammation (Hepatitis or Pancreatitis) - may not present symptoms but can be picked up by blood tests showing abnormal levels of liver enzymes.
Fat (lipid) deposit and build up in liver tissue (Fatty Liver is a reversible condition)
Accumulation of excess fat in the liver may progress to liver diseases such as cirrhosis - scarring of the liver (irreversible).
Cellular malfunction leading to cell death and disease.
Cardiovascular system
Impaired heart muscle contractions and irregular heartbeat.
High blood pressure.
Damage to heart cell mitochondria.
Immune system
Reduction in defense of lung cells leading to diminished breathing capacity.
Musculoskeletal system
Destruction and disruption of muscle and bone growth.
Decreases amino acid and glucose utilization.
Nervous system
Immediate effects include impaired behavioral and cognitive function, impaired impulse control and motor skills, and blackouts.
Structural changes and damage to the brain leading to memory malfunction, destruction, and loss of brain cells.
Overall excessive alcohol intake leads to an increase in inflammatory agents called cytokines.
What the science says:
Health
There is no lack of evidence that alcohol is harmful to health. While there is evidence that alcohol may not kill you outright, it’s generally not most people’s goal to just survive. Alcohol is absolutely linked to reduced longevity, vitality, and an increased risk for a plethora of health issues. Alcohol increases health risks, including:
Learning and memory problems, including dementia. There are no safe levels of alcohol for brain health.
Cancer (1,2) of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and rectum.
High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.
Malnutrition, weakening of the immune system, increases the chances of infection and illness.
Increased risk of gout, especially due to beer consumption (rich in purines).
The Brain
Although the CDC guidelines allow for a drink, studies (1,2) show that even a consumption level of less than one unit per day reduces brain volume. Therefore, less alcohol is better; no alcohol is best.
When it comes to the brain, the science of what we know for sure is that high, chronic intake, whether it is a large number of drinks at once (weekend night) or multiple drinks spread over the week (2 drinks a night), show thinning of the brain regions.
Drinking in any amount (1) has a negative impact on brain volume, plus grey and white matter that gets exponentially worse with increased intake volume.
Mental Health & Emotions
The emotional and mood modifications that occur when drinking and its after-effects vary for each individual, but the alteration to our neurotransmitters is noticeable. Our brain's chemicals carry messages through hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate. Each of these has a specific role, and the brain works hard to keep them in balance.
Inhibitions - The initial few drinks we consume release dopamine. This happy hormone makes us feel good and loosens our inhibitions, including our control to limit drinks. It's a cascading release of rationale leading us to reduce our inhibitions, ignore consequences, and sometimes make regretful decisions. In the long term, our body can become reliant on the dopamine boost from alcohol and reduce its production of dopamine. Not only can this make you more reliant on alcohol for good moods, but it also may reduce the joy in other everyday activities.
Anxiety - When you consume alcohol, it reduces the chemical transmitter glutamate leading to an initial effect of feeling less anxious. However, as the body registers this imbalance in brain chemicals, it attempts to rectify it, leading to a spike in glutamate. The rebound effect of your brain chemicals results in your heightened anxiety after a drinking session, sometimes for days after.
These are just some of the chemical changes alcohol has on the brain. The feelings you experience are not yours but the neurochemical changes alcohol can have on your neurotransmitters.
Gastrointestinal Tract
The gastrointestinal tract bears the greatest burden due to its direct exposure to high tissue concentrations of alcohol following ingestion. The gut mucosa is particularly susceptible to alcohol-induced injury, and alcohol consumption can result in a loss of intestinal barrier integrity. This disruption allows for bacteria and other toxins to reach the bloodstream.
Pancreas and Liver
Second to high exposure are the pancreas and liver. Ethanol is metabolized primarily in the liver and is prioritized over other vital processes. This replacement means that items such as NAD are reduced to NADH, leading to excess and overriding the cells’ ability to maintain a normal state. The NAD used by the alcohol process prevents the TCA cycle from functioning at a regular rate, leading to a build-up of triglycerides, resulting in fatty liver.
The disease is asymptomatic until too late but may present with fatigue, poor appetite, or right upper quadrant discomfort.
Loose, bulky stool (frothy, mucus-filled) can result from bile acid deficiency.
The liver is also incredible at recovery, so you can reverse some of the damage if alcohol abuse is curtailed.
Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH)
The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) metabolizes alcohol into acetyl-aldehyde. This is a toxic substance that indiscriminately damages cells. Most people are able to deal with this by converting acetyl-aldehyde directly into acetate. Our energy pathways can use acetate.
However, some people are more efficient at this conversion process, so they don’t suffer the damaging intermediate effects quite so acutely. But the amount of ADH you produce depends on your genetics, and some people don’t have as much leeway to break down the toxic substance. For example, the face flushing or nausea response in some Asian communities is due to this lack of ADH production.
When we override this conversion mechanism through excess alcohol intake, the acetyl-aldehyde toxin crosses the brain barrier, giving that tipsy/drunk feeling.
The CDC guidelines recommend a lower amount of alcohol in females (1 drink per day) than in males (2 drinks per day). This sex-related difference in alcohol consumption limits is also related to ADH production.
Intoxication at lower levels of alcohol consumption will therefore occur in certain people more than others. An inability to fully process the ethanol also increases the risk of certain diseases in those with lower ADH levels.
Our take:
Any amount of alcohol is detrimental as it is toxic to our cells; however, it is also a complexly intertwined part of our society. Those who decide alcohol will be a part of their life can still practice moderation and mitigation of its effects. Evaluating how much you drink in a day/week, developing strategies to consume less, and creating honest, smart goals and strategies will assist your health.
Will this benefit you?
Health-wise, no. However, for some, a drink can benefit you socially, mentally, and may be a part of a routine you enjoy. Therefore, constructing informed choices based on an honest look at your drinking habits can help you create a more healthful approach to alcohol.
Still curious to try it? If you do, here’s what to keep an eye on:
CDC guidelines on alcohol are:
Males - 2 drinks or less in 24 hrs
Females - 1 drink or less in 24 hrs
Heavy drinking is considered 8 or more drinks per week for a female or 15 or more drinks per week for a male.
Binge drinking is considered 4 or more drinks on an occasion for a female or 5 or more drinks on an occasion for a male.
What these classifications inform you of is the impact level alcohol is having on your system. The more alcohol you drink, the more at risk you are for health issues, reducing your life span and overall aging of organs and appearance.
It is an exponentially harmful toxin that affects every organ as it is processed through the body. Therefore curtailing drinking habits, whether that is weekly or nightly, will benefit every aspect of your health and ambitions.
Reducing Alcohol
Reducing chronic alcohol intake by any measure will be beneficial. Even if you replace every other night with an alternative beverage or skip a weekend drinking session every month, it will be helpful.
For example, you can replace or alternate your usual alcoholic beverages every other evening with restorative gut microbiome options (such as Kombucha or even sparkling water with 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar). This is a promising step towards replenishing your body and giving your brain a break from the harmful toxin of alcohol.
References and additional reading:
Mahan, L K, and Raymond, J L. Krause's Food & the Nutrition Care Process. Elsevier Inc, 2017. Print.
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