The most famous consequence of alcohol consumption is liver disease. There are many myths about the lesser 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 excessively, it can not only lead to addiction, but 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 often affected:
- liver (alcoholic hepatic steatosis, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis);
- stomach (stomach ulcer, indigestion);
- colon (colon cancer);
- pancreasit (pancreatitis).
Alcohol is highly toxic and addictive. Therefore, it is very difficult for many people to quit 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 beverages, you need to remember about moderation, both in quantity and in 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 ethanol-7 kcal).
Alcoholic beverages contribute to the development of various diseases and worsen the symptoms of existing ones.
Therefore, it is worth drinking in small quantities, you can choose drinks that are potentially less harmful. You should also beware of certain ingredients that aggravate ethanol toxicity. But even by adhering to these rules, the negative consequences of drinking them will sooner or later make themselves felt.
determf 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, time and manner of consumption, type of medication used, and general health. Similarly, the effectiveness of alcoholism treatment depends.
Simultaneous consumption of alcohol and tobacco has an extremely harmful effect on the body.
links prove a strong link between alcohol and development:
- oral tumors;
- almond neoplasms;
- throat cancer.
The risk of developing these tumors has increased by 30% in people who drink alcohol. At that time, if alcohol is combined with smoking, the risk triples. Alcohol consumption and smoking at the same time increase the risk of the negative effects of alcohol and severe addiction.
One of the most common mistakes in developing hangovers is drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. This speeds up the absorption of alcohol, and also leads to an increase in hangover symptoms the next day.
The various flavors used, for example, in the preparation of beverages, as well as the combination of many types of alcoholic beverages, also contribute to the appearance of a hangover. The smallest hanging occurs after swallowing high-quality, good vodka.
Ethanol poisoning can also occur in the case of alcohol abuse. Its symptoms are:
- nausea and vomiting;
Safe drinks - what does it mean?
Numerous scientific studies (from various 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 is 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 vodka.
Recommendations should not be considered as incentives to drink alcoholic beverages, much less for regular, daily consumption. Remember the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, even a small amount, which can lead to drug addiction.
Many drinkers and wine drinkers can be fooled by studying the so-called safe amount of alcohol.
has been approved a reasonable daily dose, 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 small can of beer or a glass of wine. On the other hand, 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 amounts 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 a man. They also have slower metabolic processes for alcohol withdrawal. Consumption of a woman with the same amount of alcohol, her 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 quantity. Regardless of whether this exceeds the known dose as safe, it can still lead to disease and drug addiction. They say it's never too late to quit 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 daily increase the amount of so-called good HDL cholesterol. HDL particles function more positively than bad cholesterol (LDL). This is considered the only way to get rid of cholesterol that the body has.
It should be mentioned again here 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, present in red wine, have beneficial effects on the heart and vascular system. These are the so-called antioxidants.
However, other foods that are less safe 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?
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 supplied by dry wine (65-68 kcal per 100 g). The wine contains including:- organic acids;
- group B vitamins.
Red, dry wine is among the least harmful and low in calories and has more 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 in this form are also possible.
The alcohol content of beer is very diverse - from 0. 2 to 9-10%. Beer, of course, has about 49 kcal per 100 g, dark beer, on the other hand, has more calories, because at 100 g about 68 kcal.
Beer contains, in particular, antioxidants and B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus. You can find a lot of information on the beneficial effects of beer on the urinary system. But beer is also a source of ethanol. It has a beneficial effect on the urinary system, but it does not outweigh the loss in the body.
Vodka, liqueur, high quality cognac 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.
At any minimal dose of alcohol consumed, it still has a devastating effect on the whole body. Do not fall for false facts about the benefits of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is definitely an unnecessary substance, and sometimes even dangerous in terms of the functioning of organs and systems. Treating alcoholism is a very complex and often lengthy procedure that requires special efforts of the patient, relatives and medical staff. The negative consequences of drinking alcohol will be much more serious than the rapid pleasure of being drunk.