Nowadays people are preocupied the whole day and they are under a lot of stress, which is why sipping on a cocktail is an easy way get rid of stress. However, it comes with a hefty price because excessive drinking is the direct cause of roughly 88,000 deaths a year.
Alcohol decreases the lifespan of drinkers by an average of 30 years. Due to the fact that even 63% of Americans drink beer and wine on a regular basis, alcohol related diseases have truly become a public health concern.
- Cancer
Excessive consumtion of alcohol can cause several types of cancer such as breast, colon, esophagus, liver, neck and head cancer.
In the words of Cancer Research UK: “No type of alcohol is better or worse than another.”
The reason why drinking alcohol can cause cancer is because ethanol is converted by the body into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. This chemical damages DNA and prevents cells from repairing themselves. Moreover, it has the ability to cause faster-than-normal liver cell turnover, leaving them more prone to being damaged.
Another reson why people should avoid alcohol or drink it in small amounts is because it inhibits the absorption of anti-cancer nutrients like vitamins A, B, C and D as well Folate.
- Osteoporosis
A bone disease which is characterized by thining bones and increased fractures. Most commonly it affects women after menopause, but it’s not a rule as it can happen to men as well, or earlier in life.
Primal Kaur, MD, an osteoporosis specialist at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, told Web MD: “Alcohol has multiple effects on calcium.” The bones deteriorate because not enough calcium is getting into bones — and the body is leaching it away from bones.”
“Alcohol interferes with the pancreas and its absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Alcohol also affects the liver, which is important for activating vitamin D — which is also important for calcium absorption.”
The consumption of alcohol can affect hormone balance by decreasing estrogen to dangerously low levels. Yet another reason to skip out your second glass of pinot noir is the fact that estrogen is very important for bone maintenance and density.
Moreover, regular consumption of alcohol increases the levels of other hormones like cortisol and the parathyroid hormone which both increase calcium leaching and bone loss.
- Depression
People tend to drink more alcohol in order to treat anxiety and stress because ti makes them feel relaxed and sleepy, but it doesn’t make them feel better on the long run.
Approximately one-third of people with major depression also have an alcohol problem. However, they should avoid it because it acts as a depressant which means that it can only worsen depression and not treat it.
Moreover, regular consumption of alcohol damages the brain and can lead to depression. Eventhough alcohol is a drug, it should never be used to self-medicate or escape reality.
- Dehydration
You have probably noticed that after you drink alcohol, you feel thirsty all the time and it is probably behind the dreaded hangover headache.
Alcohol decreases your body’s production of the anti-diuretic hormone, increasing your urine production and effectively dehydrating you as the night goes on.
You should definitely put down the beer and drink a few glasses of water instead if you experience some of the following symptoms:
- Thirst
- Dry skin
- Headache
- Constipation
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Dry, sticky mouth
- Sleepiness or tiredness
- Liver Damage
The first organ it takes a hit when you ingest alcohol is the liver because alcohol is metabolized by it. When you consume more alcohol than the liver can handle, it damages and even kills liver cells.
If you drink alcohol on a daily basis and you sip often a high-alcohol drinks, you are more likely to develop alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis and eventually, chirosis (liver scarring).
With time, alcohol tolerance increases and the quantity of alcohol needed to damage your liver is not even enough to get you drunk. Therfore, it is best to eliminate alcohol. Current guidelines in terms of drinks are no more than 7 glasses of wine a week for women and 14 a week for men.
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