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.
The negative consequences of alcohol consumption, 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 not only lead 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 most commonly affected:
- liver (alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis);
- stomach (stomach ulcer, dyspepsia);
- colon (colon cancer);
- pancreas (pancreatitis).
Alcohol is highly toxic and addictive. Therefore, it is so difficult for many 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, it is necessary to remember moderation, both in quantity and frequency of consumption. Alcohol is a source of what are 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 quantities, you can choose potentially less harmful drinks. You should also beware of some compounds that worsen ethanol toxicity. But even adhering to 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 various factors. What matters is the type and amount of ethanol consumed, gender, genetic factors, the time and route of consumption, the type of drugs used, and overall health. Likewise, the effectiveness of the alcoholism treatment depends.
The simultaneous consumption of alcohol and tobacco has an extremely harmful 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 cancers is increased by 30% in people who drink alcohol. At that time, if alcohol is combined with cigarette smoking, the risk increases threefold. Consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes simultaneously increases the risk of adverse effects of alcohol and severe hangover.
One of the most common mistakes in the development of a hangover is drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach. This accelerates the absorption of alcohol and also leads to an increase in hangover symptoms the next day.
Various flavors used, for example, to prepare drinks, in addition to combining many types of alcoholic beverages, also contribute to the occurrence of a hangover. The smallest hangover occurs after ingesting good quality, high quality vodka.
Ethanol poisoning can also occur with alcohol abuse. Its symptoms are:
- nausea and vomiting;
- dizziness;
- diarrhea;
- dehydration.
Safe drinks: what does it mean?
Numerous scientific studies (from various centers around the world) report the beneficial effects of very small quantities of alcohol on the function of individual organs.
A small amount of alcohol is between 20 and 40 grams of pure ethyl alcohol. Roughly we can say that this is:
- a small bottle of beer;
- a glass of wine;
- 40 ml of vodka.
Recommendations should not be regarded as incentives for the consumption of alcoholic beverages, much less for regular, daily consumption. It should be remembered the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, even a small amount, which can lead to drug addiction.
Many beer and wine drinkers can be led to study 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 is 20 g of alcohol per day, which corresponds to a can of beer or a glass of wine. In turn, in the case of men, 40 g of alcohol per day. These restrictions assume consumption no more than 5 times a week. However, even these quantities can lead to addiction and cause serious damage to health.
It should be noted that it is easier for a woman to become addicted to alcohol than for a man. They also have slower metabolic processes for alcohol withdrawal. A woman's consumption of the same amount of alcohol, its concentration in the blood reaches a level higher than that of a man.
Can alcohol have a positive effect?
It doesn't matter what kind of alcohol each person drinks and in what quantity. Regardless of whether this exceeds the recognized dose as safe, it can still lead to disease 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 every 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 the cholesterol the body has.
It should be noted once 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 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, found in red wine, have beneficial effects on the heart and vascular system. These are the so-called antioxidants.
However, other less safe foods are also a source of antioxidants: red grapes, berries, apples, nuts. The negative consequences of alcohol consumption here will be much more than positive.
How many calories and what ingredients do alcoholic beverages contain?
Wine contains 8. 5–18% ethanol. The calorie content of wine depends on its type. Sweet wines have more calories (around 94-104 kcal per 100 g). A minimum of calories is provided by dry wine (65-68 kcal per 100 g). The wine contains including:
- flavonoids;
- tannins;
- organic acids;
- calcium;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- hardware;
- vitamins of group B.
Dry red wine is among the least harmful and low in calories and has the highest number of antioxidants. Although the content of many valuable compounds is quite high, wine is an alcoholic beverage containing pure ethanol. This means that the negative consequences of alcohol consumption are also possible in this form.
The alcohol content in beer is very varied: 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 outweigh the loss to the body.
High quality vodka, liqueurs and cognacs contain the greatest amount of ethyl alcohol, from 15 to 80%. They are also very high in calories, vodka contains around 220 kcal per 100g.
Regardless of the minimum doses consumed, alcohol still has a devastating effect on the whole body. Don't fall for false facts about the benefits of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is certainly an unnecessary and sometimes even dangerous substance for the functioning of organs and systems. Alcoholism treatment is a very complex and often lengthy procedure that requires special efforts on the part of the patient, relatives and medical staff. The negative consequences of drinking alcohol will be much more serious than the fleeting pleasure of being drunk.