The most well-known 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 useful doses.
The negative effects of alcohol use, even in small doses, are possible, but for a longer period of time.
Why is alcohol harmful to your health?
If alcohol is consumed frequently and in excess, it can not only be addictive, but can also be the cause of many organic diseases. Ethanol itself and its ingredients, which appear during the production of alcoholic beverages, can be harmful 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 very difficult for many to give up 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 should keep in mind 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 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 aggravate ethanol toxicity. But even if you follow these rules, the negative effects 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 is important is the type and amount of ethanol consumed, gender, genetic factors, time and route of consumption, the type of drugs used and overall health. In the same way depends the effectiveness of the treatment of alcoholism.
Simultaneous consumption of alcohol and tobacco has an extremely harmful effect on the body.
The strong link between alcohol and development has been proven:
- tumors of the oral cavity;
- neoplasms of the tonsils;
- Throat cancer.
The risk of developing these tumors increases by 30% in people who drink alcohol. At this time, if alcohol is combined with cigarette smoking, the risk increases threefold. Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking simultaneously increase the risk of negative effects of alcohol and severe hangovers.
One of the common mistakes in the development of a hangover is drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. This speeds up the absorption of alcohol and also leads to an increase in the symptoms of a hangover the next day.
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 hangover occurs after ingestion of high quality, good 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 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. Roughly speaking, this is:
- a small bottle of beer;
- one glass of wine;
- 40 ml vodka.
Recommendations should not be seen as incentives for drinking alcoholic beverages, much less for regular daily consumption. One must keep in mind the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, even a small amount, which can lead to drug addiction.
Many drinkers and wine can be tricked into studying the so-called safe amount of alcohol.
A reasonable daily dose is approved, which in theory should not have a negative effect on the human body, for women it is 20 g of alcohol per day, which corresponds to a small box of beer or a glass of wine. In turn, in men 40 g of alcohol per day. These restrictions take consumption no more than 5 times a week. However, even these amounts can be addictive 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 to withdraw 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 this exceeds the dose recognized as safe, it can still lead to disease and addiction. They say it's never too late to quit drinking, but the sooner you do it, the better. This way you can avoid its negative impact on the whole body.
Numerous studies show that small amounts of alcohol consumed every day increase the amount of so-called good HDL cholesterol. HDL particles work more positively than bad cholesterol (LDL). This is considered to be the only way to eliminate cholesterol that the body has.
Again, it should be noted that the role of alcohol is an exception and is used only in very small doses. Small amounts of alcohol do not affect total cholesterol. According to the study, excessive alcohol consumption, on the contrary, leads 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 a beneficial effect on the heart and vascular system. These are the so-called antioxidants
However, other foods that are least safe are also a source of antioxidants: red grapes, fruits, 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 the most calories (about 94-104 kcal per 100 g). The minimum amount 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;
- 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 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 about 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 exceed the loss of the body.
High quality vodka, liqueurs, cognacs contain the largest amount of ethyl alcohol - from 15 to 80%. They are also high in calories, vodka contains about 220 kcal per 100 g
At any minimal dose of alcohol, it still has a devastating effect on the whole body. Don't 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. The treatment of 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 far more serious than the fleeting pleasure of drinking.