There is no question alcohol can inhibit thinking, cause someone to flounder around on a dance floor or stand on a bar and not so gracefully sing “Sweet Home Alabama” along with the DJ. A less commonly known fact about alcohol is the negative effect it has on virtually every organ in the body.
When consumed in large quantities over long periods of time, alcohol can cause permanent damage to vital organs.
Unlike other foods, alcohol is not digested and transported to cells and tissues.
Instead, alcohol goes directly to the blood stream where it comes in contact with the brain within minutes.
Alcohol destroys brain cells, and unlike other cells in the body, brain cells do not grow back.
Once alcohol is in the stomach, the dehydrogenase enzyme begins to break it down.
Men produce more of this enzyme than women allowing men to be able to handle that extra beer or Long Island Iced Tea at the end of the night.
After prolonged use, alcohol can irritate the stomach and cause gastritis, ulcers and acid reflux.
From the stomach, alcohol is then absorbed in the upper portion of the small intestine.
After several years, and too many margaritas, alcohol can begin to block the absorption and breakdown of nutrients by damaging the cells lining the intestines.
The heart is also affected by heavy drinking.
Heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and heart failure are all symptoms of overdrinking.
Even social drinkers, who on occasion indulge in shots of tequila, can experience irregular heartbeats, blood clotting, excessive bleeding and bruising.
Other effects of long-term alcohol consumption deal with the reproductive system.
In men, alcohol can decrease the production of sperm and testosterone, and can lead to infertility.
For women, alcohol can contribute to menstrual irregularities or infertility.
Although alcohol can affect every organ in the body, the organ most severely affected is the liver.
Alcohol can cause buildup of scar tissue known as cirrhosis, which can permanently change the structure of the liver.
This can cause varicose veins, which can rupture and cause catastrophic bleeding in the liver.
Whether the alcohol of choice is wine, beer or hard liquor, the liver and other vital organs eventually pay the price for long-term overdrinking.
Source: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/alcohol.htm – Health Check Systems onlinehttp://www.madd.org/under21/0,1056,1420,00.html – Activism, Victim Services, Education online