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ALCOHOL
Alcohol, or ethyl alcohol (ethanol), refers to the intoxicating
ingredient found in wine, beer and spirits.
Alcohol arises naturally from
carbohydrates when certain micro-organisms
metabolize them in the absence of oxygen, called
fermentation.
Beer, wine and
spirits contain different amounts of
alcohol. The amount of alcohol in distilled liquor is known as
“proof”. Proof refers to the amount of alcohol in the liquor;
for example, 100 proof liquor contains 50% alcohol, 40 proof liquor
contains 20% alcohol, and so on. Traditional wine has
approximately 8-14% alcohol, while regular beer has 4-6% alcohol.
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Alcohol
affects the body's ability to absorb most of the B vitamins
and zinc. It's ironic that the B vitamins play a role in
counteracting stress, and that many people use alcohol,
which interferes with B vitamin absorption, to counter
stress. They little realise that while it may work in the
short run, in the long run it is definitely
counter-productive, because among other things it undermines
some of the nutrients necessary to combat stress.
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, we are
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. |
Health Effects of Alcohol
Consumption
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Arthritis
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Increases risk of gout & arthritis
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Cancer |
Increases the risk of cancer in the liver, pancreas,
rectum, breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus
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Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
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Causes physical and behavioural abnormalities in the
foetus |
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Heart Disease |
Raises blood pressure, blood lipids and the risk of stroke
and heart disease in heavy drinkers. Heart disease is
generally lower in light to moderate drinkers. |
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Diabetes |
Raises blood glucose |
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Hypoglycaemia |
Lowers blood glucose, especially for people with diabetes
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Kidney Disease |
Enlarges the kidneys, alters hormone functions, and
increases the risk of kidney failure |
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Liver Disease |
Causes fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis
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Malnutrition |
Increases the risk of protein-energy malnutrition,; low
intakes of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C,
thiamine, vitamin B6 and riboflavin, and impaired absorption
of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and zinc. |
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Nervous Disorders |
Causes neuropathy and dementia; impairs balance and memory
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Obesity |
Increases energy intake, but not a primary cause of obesity
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Psychological disturbances
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Causes depression, anxiety and insomnia
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How Alcohol
Travels Through the Body
Alcohol is metabolized extremely quickly by the body.
Unlike foods, which require time for digestion, alcohol needs no
digestion and is quickly absorbed. Alcohol gets “VIP”
treatment in the body – absorbing and metabolizing before most other
nutrients. About 20 percent is absorbed directly across the
walls of an empty stomach and can reach the brain within one minute.
Once alcohol reaches the stomach, it begins to break down with
the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme. This process reduces the
amount of alcohol entering the blood by approximately 20%.
(Women produce less of this enzyme, which may help to partially
explain why women become more intoxicated on less alcohol than
men.). In addition, about 10% of the alcohol is expelled in the
breath and urine.
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed in the upper portion of the small
intestine. The alcohol-laden blood then travels to the liver via the
veins and capillaries of the digestive tract, which affects nearly
every liver cell. The liver cells are the only cells in our
body that can produce enough of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to
oxidize alcohol at an appreciable rate.
Though alcohol affects every organ of the body, it’s most
dramatic impact is upon the liver. The liver cells normally
prefer fatty acids as fuel, and package excess fatty acids as
triglycerides, which they then route to other tissues of the
body. However, when alcohol is present, the liver cells are
forced to first metabolize the alcohol, letting the fatty acids
accumulate, sometimes in huge amounts. Alcohol metabolism
permanently changes liver cell structure, which impairs the liver’s
ability to metabolize fats. This explains why heavy drinkers
tend to develop fatty livers.
Alcohol and Malnutrition
For moderate drinkers, alcohol does not suppress food intake, and
may actually increase appetite. Chronic alcohol consumption
appears to have the opposite effect. Alcohol causes euphoria,
which depresses appetite, so that heavy drinkers tend to eat poorly
and become malnourished.
Alcohol is very rich in energy, packing 7 calories per
gram. But like pure sugar or fat, the calories are void of
nutrients. The more calories an individual consumes in
alcohol, the less likely it is that they will eat enough food to
obtain adequate nutrients. To make matters worse, chronic
alcohol abuse not only displaces calories from needed nutrients, but
also interferes with the body’s metabolism of nutrients, leading to
damage of the liver, digestive system, and nearly every bodily
organ. See illustration:
Visit these
related websites:
www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
www.aa-uk.org.uk Find an AA meeting near you.
www.re-cover.org.uk
www.perryclaymanproject.org.uk - Treat clients with
drugs abuse and alcohol related problems specialising in
treating users particularly of Crack Cocaine, Powdered
Cocaine, Heroin, Alcohol and Gambling.
www.addictions.co.uk - Help with all addictions -
alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, internet, food, exercise
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NB. The information given here are not intended to be a substitute for
medical advice.
If you are in any doubt about your health, please
consult your GP.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website
is not intended to diagnose
medical problems, prescribe remedies for illness, or treat disease. It's
intention is solely educational. I would strongly encourage you to use this
information in cooperation with a medical or health professional.
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