On Alcohol Consumption and Health

Drinking wine, having a beer with pizza, or a night cap before bed is not an unusual occurrence in most North American homes. Alcohol consumption is a socially acceptable (and some would even argue socially required) form of creating an altered state, one in which the consumer feels more at ease, relaxed, and generally has lowered inhibitions. Although there have been a number of studies conducted on the relative benefits of alcohol consumption (particularly in relation to red wine), there are also numerous studies which point out the not so beneficial effects of long term alcohol consumption.

Here are a list of facts regarding the long term effects of alcohol consumption on the body. Decide for yourself whether or not a drink a day is worth the price...

• Alcohol is also classified as a food because it contains calories. The average drink has about the same calorie count as a large potato but, unlike a potato or any other food, alcohol has no nutritional value. The calories are empty.
  

• Alcohol dilutes itself in the water volume of the body in order to travel through the system. Those vital organs, like the brain, that contain a lot of water and need an ample blood supply are particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.
  

• The Liver: Located in the upper-right side of the abdomen, the liver is the body's largest glandular organ. Its complex functions are associated with dozens of processes of body chemistry and metabolism. It produces the bile that helps digest fatty foods; it manufactures heparin, an anticoagulant, it stores and releases sugar. The liver also produces antibodies that help ward off disease, and it cleanses the body of poisons, including alcohol. With small amounts of alcohol, this cleansing can happen effectively. When the amount of alcohol is high, imbalances are created which can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hyperuricemia (as in arthritis or gout), fatty liver (which may lead to hepatitis or cirrhosis), and hyperlipemia (build-up of fats sent to the bloodstream; which leads to heart problems).

• One effect of drinking alcohol is "blood-sludging" where the red blood cells clump together causing the small blood vessels to plug up, starve the tissues of oxygen, and cause cell death. This cell death is most serious, and often unrecognized, in the brain. With this increased pressure, capillaries break, create red eyes in the morning, or the red, blotchy skin seen on the heavy drinker's face. Blood vessels can also break in the stomach and esophagus leading to hemorrhage, even death.
  

• Other effects of alcohol on the blood include: anemia; sedation of the bone marrow (which reduces the red and white blood count, and weakens the bone structure); lowered resistance to infection; and a decrease in the ability to fight off infections.
  

• The Gastrointestinal Tract: The stomach, the small and large intestines, and the pancreas are each affected by alcohol. Alcohol increases acid in the stomach. That can result in gastritis or stomach or intestinal ulcers. The pancreas produces insulin which is necessary to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. Drinking causes a steep rise in the blood sugar; the pancreas responds by producing insulin which causes a fast drop in blood sugar and the symptom of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. 70-90% of alcoholics suffer to some degree from the disorder of hypoglycemia, chronic low blood sugar, as a long term effect of their drinking. Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include dizziness, headaches, lack of ability to concentrate, depression, anxiety, light-headedness, tremors, cold sweats, heart palpitations, loss of coordination, and upset stomach. In time, the drinker's overworked pancreas may stop producing insulin and diabetes can result. Conversely, a person with a family history of diabetes may be more vulnerable to problems with alcohol.
  

• Alcohol reduces blood flow to the muscles, including the heart, causing muscle weakness and deterioration. One outcome is cardiomyopathy (sluggish heart) which is common in alcoholics. Another outcome, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), or "holiday heart,"is often treated in emergency wards after several days of party drinking. Muscle aches are a common symptom of excessive-drinking "hangovers."
  

• The Endocrine System: This system controls the body's hormones and includes the pineal, pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands, and the ovaries or testes. Alcohol sedates these glands, resulting in under-production of hormones; effects include increased susceptibility to allergies. Alcohol can effect sexual functioning in various ways. In low doses, it lowers inhibitions and may make a person feel sexier; but in higher doses, it can decrease sexual functioning: in men, by decreasing the frequency of erections, decreasing the maintenance of erections, decreasing penile size during erection, and increasing the amount of time between erections, in women by interfering with normal processes of sexual stimulation, and blocking orgasmic response. With chronic and prolonged use of alcohol in men, there is a shrinkage of sex glands and an increase of the "female hormone" estrogen. This produces secondary sexual characteristics, such as enlarged breasts and a decrease in body hair. Prolonged use of alcohol can cause infertility in both men and women.
  

• Secondary Diabetes: Diabetes can result from prolonged, excessive use of alcohol. Because it is caused by drinking and not from a genetic disorder, it is called "secondary" diabetes. The symptoms are identical to genetic or "primary" diabetes. Abstinence from alcohol is a vital part of treatment for this disorder.
  

• Vitamins and Proteins: Those who use alcohol excessively deprive their bodies of essential nutrients. The drinker and the recovering alcoholic must pay special attention to diet. A diet high in protein not only provides many of the nutrients vital to recovery, but also keeps the blood sugar from too rapid change. It is better for those who drank excessively to get protein from eggs, milk, or vegetables, than from meats or cheeses. Because of an already-fatty liver, excessive drinkers cannot process the extra fat. When they eat meat, fruit should be eaten; it aids in breaking down fats. Vitamin supplements are helpful for people with drinking problems: these include, vitamins A, B, C and E. Protein supplementation may be important to reducing alcohol craving and maintaining emotional balance for alcoholics wanting to recover from their past heavy drinking. Similarly, a diet high in complex carbohydrates stabilizes blood glucose and reduces the low blood sugar state that can lead to craving alcohol. Understanding one's own special nutritional needs is an important aspect of recovery from excessive alcohol use.
  

(This information is merely the condensed form of an online article entitled “Biological Impacts Of Alcohol Use: An Overview”, By:  Michaele P. Dunlap, Psy.D,  Clinical Psychologist)