Health Consequences of Alcohol Abuse
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Food Science and Human Nutrition Program and Human Nutrition Program
Alcoholic drinks in excess contribute to weight gain by substantially increasing caloric intake. However, displays its two-faced character again in its effects on body weight, making many scientific studies contradictory. Multiple studies show high intakes of hard liquor are linked to weight gain, although this may be the result of the regular consumption of hard liquor with sugary soft drinks, juices, and other mixers. On the other hand drinking beer and, even more so, red wine, is not consistently linked to weight gain and in some studies actually decreases weight gain. The contradictory results of scientific studies that have examined the association of alcohol intake with body weight are partly due to the fact that alcohol contributes calories to the diet. When alcohol is drunk in excess, it reduces the secretion of and damages the lining of the gastrointestinal system, impairing nutrient digestion and absorption. The impaired digestion and absorption of nutrients in alcoholics contributes to their characteristic “skinniness” and multiple associated micronutrient deficiencies. The most common macronutrient deficiency among alcoholics is water, as it is excreted in excess. Commonly associated micronutrient deficiencies include thiamine, pyridoxine, folate, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Furthermore, alcoholics typically replace calories from alcohol with those of nutritious foods, sometimes getting 50 percent or more of their daily caloric intake from alcoholic beverages.
Effects of Alcohol Abuse on the Brain
A small amount (up to 10%) of the liver acetaldehyde may accumulate inside the liver cells. As more alcohol is ingested, this stimulates the production of acetaldehyde by both the and MEOS systems. As the levels of acetaldehyde increase inside the liver cells with heavy consumption of alcohol, some of the acetaldehyde diffuse into the blood circulation. In circulation, high levels of acetaldehyde cause nausea and vomiting. Vomiting causes more body dehydration and loss of . If the dehydration becomes severe enough, this can impair brain function and a person may lose consciousness.
Alcohol can adversely affect nearly every area of the brain. When BAC rises, the is depressed. Alcohol disrupts the way nerve cells communicate with each other by interfering with receptors on certain cells. The immediate impact of alcohol on the brain can be seen in the awkwardly displayed symptoms of confusion, blurred vision, slurred speech, and other signs of intoxication. These symptoms will go away once drinking stops, but abusive alcohol consumption over time can lead to long-lasting damage to the brain and nervous system.
Effects of Excessive Alcohol on the Liver
Alcohol stimulates the release of epinephrine from the s. Epinephrine binds to receptors in the liver cells to stimulate the release of from the pa