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 drinking alcohol, even in small doses, are possible, but for a long 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 can also be the cause of many organic diseases. Ethanol itself and its constituents that appear during the production of alcoholic beverages can be harmful to health.
The following organs are the most commonly affected:
- liver (alcoholic fatty liver, 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 about 8 g per 1 kg of body weight. Therefore, when drinking beer, vodka or drinks, it is necessary to remember moderation, both in quantity and 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.
So it is worth drinking in small quantities, you can choose drinks that are potentially less harmful. You should also be careful with certain compounds that make ethanol toxicity worse. But even if you follow these rules, the negative consequences of drinking sooner or later will 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, the gender, the genetic factors, the time and route of consumption, the type of medication used and general health. Likewise, the effectiveness of 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 proven:
- oral tumors;
- neoplasms of the tonsils;
- throat cancer.
The risk of developing these tumors increases by 30% in people who drink alcohol. At this point, if alcohol is combined with cigarette consumption, the risk increases three times. 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 the development of a hangover is drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach. This speeds up alcohol absorption and also leads to an increase in hangover symptoms the next day.
Various flavors used, for example, in the preparation of beverages, in addition to combining various types of alcoholic beverages, also contribute to the appearance of a hangover. The smallest hangover occurs after eating good, high-quality vodka.
Ethanol poisoning can also occur in the case of 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 small amounts of alcohol on the function of individual organs.
A small amount of alcohol is between 20 and 40 grams of pure ethyl alcohol. We can say it is:
- a small bottle of beer;
- a glass of wine;
- 40 ml of vodka.
The recommendations should not be considered incentives for the consumption of alcoholic beverages, much less for regular daily consumption. One must remember the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, even in small quantities, which can lead to drug addiction.
Many beer and wine drinkers may be induced to study the so-called safe amount of alcohol.
A reasonable daily dose has been approved, which in theory should not cause negative effects on the human body, for women it is 20 g of alcohol a 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 that consumption does not exceed 5 times a week. However, even these amounts can lead to addiction and cause serious damage to health.
It should be noted that it is easier for a woman to become dependent on alcohol than for a man. They also have slower metabolic processes for withdrawing alcohol. A woman's consumption of the same amount of alcohol, her blood concentration reaches a level higher 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. Regardless of whether or not you exceed the dose recognized as safe, it can still lead to illness and drug addiction. They say it's never too late to stop drinking, but the sooner you do it, the better. So, you can avoid its negative impact on the whole body.
Numerous studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol consumed daily increase the amount of so-called good HDL cholesterol. HDL particles work more positively than bad cholesterol (LDL). This is considered the only way to remove the cholesterol that the body has.
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 survey 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 the vascular system. These are 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 good.
How many calories and what ingredients do alcoholic beverages contain?
The wine contains 8, 5–18% ethanol. The caloric content of wine depends on its type. Sweet wines have more calories (about 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
- ;
- group B vitamins.
Red, dry wine is among the least harmful and low in calories and has the most antioxidants. Although the content of many valuable compounds is quite high, wine is an alcoholic beverage that contains pure ethanol. This means that the 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 it does not compensate for the loss to the body.
High quality vodka, liqueurs, cognacs contain the largest amount of ethyl alcohol - from 15 to 80%. They are also very high in calories, vodka contains about 220 kcal per 100 g.
Whatever the minimum dose consumed, alcohol still has a devastating effect on the entire body. Don't be fooled by false facts about the benefits of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is definitely an unnecessary and sometimes even dangerous substance for the functioning of organs and systems. The treatment of alcoholism is a very complex and often time-consuming procedure that requires special efforts from the patient, relatives and medical staff. The negative consequences of drinking alcohol will be much more serious than the fleeting pleasure of being drunk.