What Does Alcohol Do to Your Body? Benefits & Risks

But many people do have some type of medical condition — or multiple conditions — especially as they get older. For instance, alcohol has been identified as a common trigger for chronic conditions like asthma and migraines. To minimize the potential health risks of alcohol, the National Institutes of Health recommends either =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ abstaining from alcohol entirely or drinking in moderation. Understanding the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol consumption can help you make an informed choice about whether to raise a glass or take a pass on that next round.

Table 1. Baseline characteristic of study subjects.

Some people become addicted to the effects of alcohol, a condition known as alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Studies suggest that light and moderate consumption of alcohol may cut the risk of premature death — especially in Western societies (66, 67). Drinking alcohol may increase your is alcohol good for you risk of certain cancers, especially mouth and throat cancer. Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for cancers of the mouth, throat, colon, breast and liver (57, 58, 59).

What you drink makes a difference

It partially attributed red wine consumption to lower rates of cardiovascular disease among the French despite eating more fatty foods. For quite some time now, moderate drinking — especially a nightly glass of red wine — has been considered a healthy habit that might help you live a little longer than people who don’t drink at all. The increased life span seen among light to moderate drinkers compared to teetotalers is mostly due to lower rates of heart disease and possibly stroke and diabetes. While some studies show moderate wine consumption is generally safe and might benefit your heart health, the same is not true for excessive alcohol intake.

Why mayors should care about public health

In the EU, cancer is the leading cause of death – with a steadily increasing incidence rate – and the majority of all alcohol-attributable deaths are due to different types of cancers. Managing alcohol intake is crucial not only for physical health but also for preserving your mental well-being. Alcohol has been shown to disrupt neurotransmitters, which can elevate the risk of anxiety, depression, impulsivity and psychosis over time, says Diaz. Chronic alcohol consumption can also lead to a deficiency in vitamin B1 (thiamine), potentially resulting in serious neurological disorders like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, she adds. “Long-term heavy drinking may contribute to cognitive decline and increase the risk of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” adds Andrews.

• In worst-case scenarios, severe alcohol-induced brain damage may impair people’s ability to lead an independent life.
• U.S. dietary guidelines define a moderate, low-health-risk alcohol intake as one drink or less per day for women and two or less for men.
• Heavy alcohol drinking can affect the absorption of or increase the loss of zinc and other nutrients.

A general rule of thumb is anything more than one drink in two hours is going to lead to increasing levels of intoxication. Since carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars in the body and absorbed into the bloodstream, drinking beer in excess can also affect your insulin levels, as mentioned earlier. The recommendations are lower for women drug addiction because they generally weigh less, so they have less tissue to absorb alcohol, and they have a smaller body composition with less water, so the alcohol doesn’t disperse as well as it does for men. These factors make women more susceptible to the effects of alcohol, and it takes smaller amounts to affect them.

• In contrast, sleep latency was not correlated with alcohol consumption level.
• When the data from both types of studies point in the same direction, we can have more confidence in the conclusion.
• There are plenty of other drinks and foods with these same benefits that don’t come with the risks of drinking alcohol, which include liver damage, sleep disruptions and alcohol dependence.
• Moderate drinking may also reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease — both of which can speed up the effects of Alzheimer’s.
• 1 Heavy drinking can damage the liver and heart, harm an unborn child, increase the chances of developing breast and some other cancers, contribute to depression and violence, and interfere with relationships.

As these examples illustrate, drinking alcohol may raise the risk of some conditions but not others. Patients should work with their clinicians to understand their personal risks and make informed decisions about drinking. Yet we continue to see reductive narratives, in the media and even in science journals, that alcohol in any amount is dangerous. Earlier this month, for instance, the media reported on a new study that found even small amounts of alcohol might be harmful.

• REM sleep is essential for consolidating memories, promoting brain function and regulating emotions, among other functions.
• In 2018, the National Institutes of Health ended our trial to study the health effects of alcohol.
• Steatosis (fatty liver disease) happens in 90% of those who have more than about four drinks a day over time, and cirrhosis occurs in about 30% of those who drink more than about three drinks a day long-term.
• Because your brain is very sensitive to damage, chronic alcohol abuse may increase your risk of dementia and cause brain shrinkage in middle-aged and older adults (12, 13, 14, 15).
• Among both men and women, depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms were significantly correlated with increased PSQI-K values.

Why do gliomas tend to recur in the brain?

Other research indicates that drinking wine, even in moderate amounts, can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. One in particular is hepatocellular cancer, which is a cancer of the liver. Certain esophageal cancers and gastrointestinal cancers have also been related to excessive alcohol use. There are multiple short-term risks of excessive alcohol consumption. Although many people rely on a nighttime drink to wind down before bed, this habit may actually worsen your sleep quality. Research shows that even having just two drinks before bed can disrupt your sleep.

Cardiovascular Disease

He told Time in an August 24, 2018 article that while there is “no question” that heavy drinking is harmful, there are plenty of data supporting the benefits of moderate drinking. He also said that it is misleading to lump the entire world together when assessing alcohol’s risk. “Our decisions about drinking in the United States shouldn’t be influenced by what alcohol does to tuberculosis,” he said. While the authors suggested that these risks outweigh any potential health benefits from moderate drinking, Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said he’s not convinced. A new analysis of the global impact of alcohol on injury and disease concluded that even moderate drinking is unsafe for health. Given the complexity of alcohol’s effects on the body and the complexity of the people who drink it, blanket recommendations about alcohol are out of the question.

A person with diabetes should discuss with their doctor any effects that alcohol may have on their condition or medications. According to a 2020 review, alcohol consumption at low and moderate levels may help protect against cardiovascular diseases. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer.