What Does Alcohol Do to Our Body? 10 Facts That Will Stun You

1. Alcohol leads to decreased inhibitions, motor incoordination, behavior changes, confusion, coma, respiratory depression, and death, depending on blood concentration.

2. Laboratory tests show high levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase in 80% of people with alcohol issues and an increase in Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) in about 60% of cases. There is also sometimes an increase in liver enzymes, uric acid, and triglycerides.

3. Even short-term alcohol use can increase the accumulation of fats and proteins that lead to a fatty liver. However, the link between fatty liver infiltration and severe liver damage isn't completely clear. Chronic and excessive alcohol use, however, ultimately leads to the development of alcoholic liver disease, characterized by three main forms of damage—fatty liver, hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis.

4. In the long-term, alcohol consumption also harms the liver and causes obesity. This damage occurs due to excessive drinking because of the overload placed on the liver, which is responsible for eliminating alcohol from the body. Beer is one of the most harmful alcoholic beverages to one's health.

5. Additional effects include increased blood pressure, elevated risk of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular diseases, which can increase cancers in the head, neck, throat, stomach, liver, colon, and lungs. Severe intoxication can cause hypoglycemia.

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6. Psychologically, alcohol offers quick pleasure or effective means of defense against stress, frustration, and anxiety. Heavy drinking can lead to addiction and cause a vicious cycle of negative feelings that prompt alcohol consumption, which then causes more negative feelings, continuing until a person becomes alcoholic.

7. Additionally, alcohol tends to exaggerate the mood of the person before drinking. Naturally, this tendency can be harmful if a person is in a bad mood before drinking.

8. Alcohol causes the dilation of arteries and a chain of chemical reactions, transforming into fatty acids that cover the nerve fibers, blocking their endings, and inhibiting neurotransmitter secretion into and out of the synapses between neurons (nerve cells).

9. Alcohol consumption can be particularly dangerous when consumed in cold weather. While initially causing a feeling of warmth, this is a dangerous illusion. The dilation of arteries caused by alcohol increases the surface area through which heat dissipates from the body, resulting in actual body cooling.

10. Alcohol is a teratogen — a substance that harms embryonic development. Its main damage to the fetus is in brain development. Consumption during pregnancy is the most common cause of intellectual disability in the Western world. Alcohol also disrupts the transfer of folic acid from mother to fetus, which is essential for proper development.