The most famous consequence of alcohol consumption is liver disease. There are many myths about the minor dangers of drinking vodka, beer, or wine. All alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, a potentially toxic substance, so there are no small or beneficial doses.
Negative consequences of drinking alcohol, even in small doses, are possible, but for a longer period of time.
Why is alcohol bad for your health?
If alcohol is consumed frequently and in excess, it can lead not only to addiction, but it can also be the cause of many organic diseases. Ethanol itself and its components that appear during the production of alcoholic beverages can be harmful to health.
The following organs are the most affected:
- liver (alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis);
- stomach (stomach ulcer, dyspepsia);
- colon (colon cancer);
- pancreas (pancreatitis).
Alcohol is highly toxic and addictive. Therefore, for many it is very difficult to stop drinking immediately and without consequences. The lethal dose of ethanol is approximately 8 g per 1 kg of body weight. Therefore, when drinking beer, vodka or beverages, you need to remember moderation, both in the amount and in the frequency of consumption. Alcohol is a source of so-called empty calories. Consumption in large quantities leads to the development of excess weight (1 g of ethanol-7 kcal).
Alcoholic beverages contribute to the development of various diseases and exacerbate the symptoms of existing ones.
Therefore, it is worth drinking in small amounts, you can choose drinks that are potentially less harmful. You also need to be careful around certain compounds that worsen the toxicity of ethanol. But even following these rules, the negative consequences of drinking will sooner or later be felt.
What determines the harmfulness of alcohol?
The effect of alcohol on the body depends on several factors. What matters is the type and amount of ethanol consumed, gender, genetic factors, timing and route of consumption, the type of drugs used, and general health. Similarly, the effectiveness of alcoholism treatment depends.
The simultaneous use of alcohol and tobacco has an extremely damaging effect on the body.
A strong link between alcohol and development has been demonstrated:
- oral tumors;
- tonsil neoplasms;
- throat cancer.
The risk of developing these tumors increases by 30% in people who drink alcohol. At that point, if alcohol is combined with cigarette smoking, the risk triples. Consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes at the same time increases the risk of the negative effects of alcohol and severe hangovers.
One of the common mistakes in developing a hangover is drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach. This accelerates the absorption of alcohol and also leads to increased hangover symptoms the next day.
Various flavors used, for example, to prepare drinks, as well as to combine many types of alcoholic beverages, also contribute to the appearance of hangovers. The smallest hangover occurs after ingesting good, high-quality vodkas.
Ethanol poisoning can also occur from alcohol abuse. Its symptoms are:
- nausea and vomiting;
- dizziness;
- diarrhea;
- dehydration.
Safe drinks: what does it mean?
Numerous scientific studies (from different centers around the world) report the beneficial effects of very small amounts of alcohol on the function of individual organs.
A small amount of alcohol has between 20 and 40 grams of pure ethyl alcohol. We can roughly say that this is:
- a small bottle of beer;
- a glass of wine;
- 40 ml of vodka.
The recommendations should not be considered as incentives to drink alcoholic beverages, much less for regular daily consumption. It is worth remembering the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, even a small amount, which can lead to drug addiction.
Many beer and wine drinkers can be tricked into studying the so-called safe amount of alcohol.
A reasonable daily dose has been approved, which theoretically should not cause a negative effect on the human body, for women it is 20 g of alcohol per day, which corresponds to a small can of beer or a glass of wine. In turn, in the case of men, 40 g of alcohol per day. These restrictions assume a consumption of no more than 5 times a week. However, even these amounts can lead to addiction and cause serious health damage.
It should be noted that it is easier for a woman to become addicted to alcohol than a man. They also have slower metabolic processes for alcohol withdrawal. Consuming a woman of the same amount of alcohol, its concentration in the blood reaches a higher level than that of a man.
Can alcohol have a positive effect?
It does not matter what type of alcohol each person drinks and in what quantities. Whether or not you exceed the recognized safe dose, it can still lead to illness and drug addiction. They say it's never too late to stop drinking, however the sooner you do it the better. Thus, you can avoid its negative impact on the whole body.
Numerous studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol consumed each day increase the amount of the so-called good HDL cholesterol. HDL particles work more positively than bad cholesterol (LDL). This is considered the only way to remove cholesterol from the body.
It should be noted here again that the role played by alcohol is an exception and is used only in very small doses. Small amounts of alcohol do not affect total cholesterol. According to the research data, excessive alcohol consumption leads, on the contrary, to an increase in the parameters of the amount of cholesterol.
You can often read about the health benefits of drinking wine and beer. In fact, they contain some substances that can have a positive effect on the body. For example, quercetin and resveratrol, present in red wine, have beneficial effects on the heart and vascular system. These are called antioxidants.
However, other foods that are the least safe are also a source of antioxidants: red grapes, berries, apples, walnuts. The negative consequences of drinking here will be much more than good.
How many calories and what ingredients do alcoholic beverages contain?
The wine contains between 8. 5% and 18% ethanol. The caloric content of wine depends on its type. Sweet wines have the most calories (about 94-104 kcal per 100 g). Dry wine provides a minimum of calories (65-68 kcal per 100 g). The wine contains that includes:
- flavonoids;
- tannins;
- organic acids;
- calcium;
- potassium;
- phosphor;
- magnesium;
- hardware;
- vitamins of group B.
Dry red wine is among the least harmful and low in calories and has the highest amount of antioxidants. Although the content of many valuable compounds is quite high, wine is an alcoholic beverage that contains pure ethanol. This means that negative consequences of alcohol consumption even in this form are possible.
The alcohol content in beer is very diverse: from 0. 2 to 9-10%. Beer, of course, has about 49 kcal per 100 g, dark beer, in turn, has more calories, because in 100 g about 68 kcal.
Beer contains, in particular, antioxidants and B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus. You can find a lot of information about the beneficial effects of beer on the urinary system. But beer is also a source of ethanol. There is a beneficial effect on the urinary system, but this does not compensate for the loss to the body.
High-quality vodka, spirits, and cognacs contain the highest amount of ethyl alcohol, 15-80%. They are also very high in calories, vodka contains around 220 kcal per 100 g.
Regardless of the minimal doses consumed, alcohol continues to have a devastating effect on the entire body. Don't fall for false facts about the benefits of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is definitely an unnecessary substance and sometimes even dangerous for the functioning of organs and systems. Treatment of alcoholism is a very complex and often time-consuming procedure that requires special efforts from the patient, family, and medical staff. The negative consequences of drinking alcohol will be far more serious than the fleeting pleasure of being drunk.