Alcohol is safe and healthy to drink as long as it is drunk moderately. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Alcohol is made into beverages and alcoholic drinks like beer, spirits, wine, etc, which are mostly drunk on special occasions and inside bars.
Heavy drinking or binge drinking/daily heavy drinking, has severe consequences on the health. Below are five of the more serious damage that alcohol can cause to your body if you drink it too much and too frequently.
1. Causes liver damage
Alcohol causes inflammation of the liver, which releases enzymes and free radicals that damage other cells of the liver and body. This inflammation is called alcoholic hepatitis. Scars start to form at the damaged area of the liver. This is called cirrhosis.
2. Causes cardiovascular diseases
Alcohol in the body causes fat levels to rise. This increases the chance that those fat reserves will narrow the blood vessels leading to coronary artery disease and others, or can clog or block blood vessels leading to stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack and so on. Excess fat may also form on heart muscles, weakening them, so the heart does not perform as well as before.
3. Reduces metabolism
Alcohol is known to reduce the metabolic rate of the body. This can weaken the heart muscles and cause poor blood circulation, in addition to making you becoming tired easily and have reduced brain function.
4. Poor skin
Alcohol causes inflammation in the body, which triggers the release of enzymes and free radicals that destroy other cells and structures. Collagen, the main structural protein that holds the skin together, gets damaged and weakened when free radicals and enzymes from inflammation come in contact with it. This can lead to the skin being saggy, and may lead to wrinkles setting in earlier in life.
Alcohol also dehydrates body tissues, including the skin. This is why drinkers generally complain about having tired and pale skin.
5. Weight gain
Alcohol causes fat levels to rise in the body. This is obviously not what you want to happen if you are seeking to lose weight.
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