How alcohol affects the body and brain

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

According to a study by David Nutt, British psychiatrist and pharmacologist, alcohol is the most harmful substance to humans. Harmful to heroin, cocaine, LSD and other drugs. We decided to figure out how alcohol affects our body and whether it is worth worrying about how much alcohol we consume.

Have you ever wondered how many people drink alcohol?

According to the American Alcohol Institute, 87% of people 18 and older have consumed alcohol during their lifetime. 71% drank alcohol in the last year, 56% in the last month.

Generalized statistics for the world are not so easy to find, so let's focus on the US data.

Every second person occasionally drinks alcohol.

Taking into account the harm to the person himself and those around him, alcohol is the most harmful drug in the world. Harmful than heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. This is primarily due to the amount of product consumed. Alcohol is more popular than any other drug.

This data was obtained from David Nutt, a British psychiatrist and pharmacologist who studies the effects of drugs on our bodies.

We are used to alcohol and it’s scary.

News reports cover drug-related crimes, but no one pays attention to alcohol-related crimes. This is similar to the situation with accidents. Nobody cares about car accidents, but as soon as a ship runs aground or an airplane crashes, all these events are scattered across the Internet.

Taking alcohol for granted, we forget that a tangled tongue, fun and a hangover are not the whole effect of alcohol on our body.

How alcohol affects the body

Approximately 20% of alcohol consumed is absorbed by the stomach. The remaining 80% goes to the small intestine. How quickly alcohol is absorbed depends on its concentration in the drink. The higher it is, the faster the intoxication will occur. Vodka, for example, will be absorbed much faster than beer. A full stomach also slows down absorption and the onset of intoxication.

After alcohol has entered the stomach and small intestine, it travels through the bloodstream throughout the body. At this time, our body tries to remove it.

More than 10% of alcohol is excreted by the kidneys and lungs through urine and respiration. That is why breathalyzers allow you to determine whether you have been drinking or not.

The liver handles the rest of the alcohol, which is why it is the organ of greatest harm. There are two main reasons alcohol damages the liver:

Oxidative (oxidative) stress. As a result of chemical reactions accompanying the withdrawal of alcohol with the help of the liver, its cells can be damaged. The organ will try to heal itself, and this may cause inflammation or scarring.
Toxins in intestinal bacteria. Alcohol can damage the intestines, allowing intestinal bacteria to enter the liver and lead to inflammation.

The alcoholic effect does not come immediately, but only after a few tricks. It occurs when the amount of alcohol supplied exceeds the amount that is excreted by the body.

How alcohol affects the brain

Loose tongues, disobedient body parts, and memory loss are all symptoms of alcohol's effects on the brain. Heavy drinkers begin to experience problems with coordination, balance, and common sense. One of the main symptoms is a retarded reaction, therefore, drivers are prohibited from driving while intoxicated.

The effect of alcohol on the brain is that it alters the level of neurotransmitters - substances that transmit impulses from neurons to muscle tissue.

Neurotransmitters are responsible for processing external stimuli, emotions, and behavior. They can either stimulate electrical activity in the brain or inhibit it.

One of the most important inhibitory neurotransmitters is gamma-aminobutyric acid. Alcohol enhances its effect, thereby making the movements and speech of drunk people slow.

How to reduce the negative effects of alcohol

Stop drinking … But you are unlikely to decide on this.

Therefore, here are some more gentle tips to help reduce the effects of alcohol on the body:

Drink plenty of water. Alcohol removes fluid from the body. Ideally, you should drink an extra liter of water, or even two if you know you are going to drink alcohol.
Eat. As already mentioned, a full stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol, thereby giving the body time to gradually excrete it.
Avoid eating fatty foods. Yes, fats create a film that interferes with the absorption of alcohol by the stomach, but too much fatty food will harm rather than be beneficial.
Avoid carbonated drinks. The carbon dioxide they contain accelerates the absorption of alcohol.
If you just want to support the company and are not going to get drunk, then the best option is one strong drink per hour. By following this rule, you will give your body time to eliminate alcohol.