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.
The negative consequences of drinking alcohol, even in small doses, are possible, but over 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 also can be the cause of many organic diseases. Ethanol itself, and its constituents that appear during the production of alcoholic beverages, can be detrimental to health.
The following organs are most commonly affected:
- liver (alcoholic hepatic steatosis, 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 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 drinks, you need to remember about 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 drinks that are potentially less harmful. You should also beware of certain compounds that worsen the toxicity of ethanol. But even adhering to these rules, the negative consequences of drinking will sooner or later make themselves 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, time and route of consumption, the type of drugs used, and overall health. Similarly, 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 is increased by 30% in people who drink alcohol. At that time, if alcohol is combined with smoking cigarettes, the risk increases threefold. 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 hangover development is drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach. This speeds up the absorption of alcohol, and also leads to an increase in hangover symptoms the next day.
Various flavors used, for example, for preparing drinks, as well as combining many types of alcoholic beverages, also contribute to the occurrence of a hangover. The smallest hangover occurs after ingestion of high quality, good vodkas.
Ethanol poisoning may 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 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. Roughly we can say that this is:
- one small bottle of beer;
- one glass of wine;
- 40 ml of vodka.
Recommendations should not be considered as incentives for drinking alcoholic beverages, much less for regular, daily consumption. It should be remembered about 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 in theory 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 consumption no more than 5 times a week. However, even these quantities can lead to addiction and cause serious harm 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 the withdrawal of alcohol. A woman's consumption 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 doesn't matter what kind of alcohol each person drinks and in what quantities. Whether or not this exceeds the dose recognized as safe, it can still lead to illness and drug addiction. They say that it is never too late to quit drinking, however, the sooner you do it, the better. Thus, you can avoid its negative impact on the entire body.
Numerous studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol consumed each day 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 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 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 the least 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 calorie content of wine depends on its type. Sweet wines have the most calories (about 94-104 kcal per 100 g). A minimum of calories is supplied by dry wine (65-68 kcal per 100 g). Wine contains including:
- flavonoids;
- tannins;
- organic acids;
- calcium;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- hardware;
- vitamins of group B.
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 containing 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 on 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, cognacs contain the greatest amount of ethyl alcohol - from 15 to 80%. They are also very high in calories, vodka contains about 220 kcal per 100 g.
In whatever minimum doses alcohol is consumed, it still has a devastating effect on the entire 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. Treatment of alcoholism is a very complex and often lengthy procedure that requires special efforts of the patient, relatives and medical personnel. The negative consequences of drinking alcohol will be far more serious than the fleeting pleasure of being drunk.