Effect of alcohol – The negative effect of alcohol on your body starts from the moment you take your first sip. Regular alcohol intake can put a toll on your health and worsen relationships with your relatives. By realizing the health consequences of alcohol abuse you can make the first step to an alcohol-free life.
Keep reading if you are interested in discovering how alcohol ruins your health and decreases the quality of life.
1. Leaky gut
A big part of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. Regular alcohol intake damages gut tissues and decreases the ability to absorb nutrients from food. This can potentially cause organ damage and other serious health issues.
2. Ulcers
After drinking alcohol you may experience burning sensations in your belly. That doesn’t just mean it’s a strong drink. Burning sensations mean alcohol could damage your internal organs. It can increase acidity in your stomach, wearing away the lining of your stomach. Over time, this may lead to the formation of ulcers and other painful gastrointestinal conditions.
3. Abdominal fat
Regular alcohol consumption can increase your waist size and belly fat. Extra pounds around the midsection may have serious health consequences.
Read: Alcoholism Can Ruin Your Family
Abdominal fat is linked to health issues like metabolic disturbances, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Visceral fat can also make you more prone to breast cancer.
4. Dementia
Alcohol can impair short term memory, but it also has long-term consequences for your brain. Regular alcohol intake is related to brain and memory disorders like dementia. If you want to keep your brain healthy in your golden age, reduce your alcohol intake now.
5. Anemia
Alcohol can seriously increase your chances of developing anemia. Anemia happens even among drinkers who aren’t suffering from liver disease or other alcohol-related diseases. Alcohol reduces the amount of B12 and folate that is absorbed in the intestines. Lack of these nutrients can decrease the number of red blood cells and cause anemia.
6. Seizures
Alcohol can increase your risk of seizures. If you have a family history of epilepsy, you need to reduce your intake of alcohol. Alcohol consumed in small doses does not cause seizures. Alcohol abuse can make you more prone to developing conditions like epilepsy.
7. Dental problems
Drinking too much alcohol is linked to the risk of oral health problems. Alcohol mixed with fizzy drinks increases levels of acid in your mouth. This can lead to tooth erosion and make you prone to tooth decay. Alcohol abuse is the main risk factor for mouth cancer. If you have ulcers in the mouth that have not healed within 3 weeks, you need to visit the dental center as soon as possible.
8. Insomnia
Many people believe that a glass of red wine before bed can improve night’s sleep but this habit often results in insomnia. Alcohol may help many people but it doesn’t allow your body to reach a deep phase of sleep. This is the phase when your body relaxes. Lack of adequate night’s sleep can lead to decreased performance at work, social stress, and weight gain.
9. Increase sugar intake
You probably don’t imagine how many calories your alcoholic beverage contains. From wine to cocktails, many types of alcohol are filled with carbohydrates and sugar. A few small cocktails add huge numbers of calories to your daily calorie intake. These calories will eventually reflect in extra pounds on your waistline.
10. Muscle atrophy
Alcohol affects muscle fibers and contributes to a condition called alcoholic myopathy. This disorder can be acute or chronic. Acute alcoholic myopathy develops suddenly. This condition causes muscle weakness, severe pain, and discomfort. Chronic myopathy develops gradually and causes muscle weakness.
11. Worsen immune system work
Excess alcohol consumption may cause immune deficiency. Immune deficiency increases your susceptibility to certain diseases. Alcohol makes it harder for your immune system to fight harmful germs and infections. By taking alcohol on a regular basis you increase your risk of autoimmune diseases.
