Alcohol, or ethyl alcohol (ethanol), refers to the intoxicating ingredient found in wine, beer and spirits. Alcohol arises naturally from carbohydrates when certain micro-organisms metabolize them in the absence of oxygen, called fermentation.
Beer, wine and spirits contain different amounts of alcohol. The amount of alcohol in distilled liquor is known as "proof". Proof refers to the amount of alcohol in the liquor; for example, 100 proof liquor contains 50% alcohol, 40 proof liquor contains 20% alcohol, and so on. Traditional wine has approximately 8-14% alcohol, while regular beer has 4-6% alcohol.
Alcohol affects the body's ability to absorb most of the B vitamins and zinc. It's ironic that the B vitamins play a role in counteracting stress, and that many people use alcohol, which interferes with B vitamin absorption, to counter stress.
They little realise that while it may work in the short run, in the long run it is definitely counter-productive, because among other things it undermines some of the nutrients necessary to combat stress. To counter this and make a faster recovery from alcohol damage a diet rich in B vitamins and zinc must be consumed. Click the blue links to find out the natural sources of these important nutrients.
Because zinc is expelled by drinking alcohol, cadmium toxicity can result especially in those that smoke tobacco or cannabis as well. Cadmium can depress some immune functions by reducing resistance to bacteria and viruses. It may also increase cancer risk, for the lungs and prostate. Cadmium toxicity has been implicated in generating prostate enlargement, possibly by interfering with zinc support.
Cadmium also affects the bones because copper, together with zinc improves the absorption of vitamin D, the vitamin which aids in the absorption of calcium.. It has been known to cause bone and joint aches and pains. This syndrome, first described in Japan caused by cadmium pollution there. It was also associated with weak bones that lead to deformities, especially of the spine or to fragile and easily broken bones. This disease was fatal in many cases. Long term cadmium exposure can also lead to cancer, hypertension, heart and kidney disease, emphysema and anaemia. Read more about Cadmium Toxicity.
The loss of zinc and other nutrients through drinking alcohol can result in erectile dysfunction. See the Impotency page.
Alcoholic drinks contain 7 calories per gram of alcohol but, like pure sugar or fat, the calories are void of nutrients. The more calories an individual consumes in alcohol, the less likely it is that they will eat enough food to obtain adequate nutrients. To make matters worse, chronic alcohol abuse not only displaces calories from needed nutrients, but also interferes with the body's metabolism of nutrients, leading to damage of the
liver, digestive system and nearly every bodily organ. See illustration below:
Excessive drinking can lead to obesity because the body cannot store alcoholic calories in the same way as calories produced by food. This means that if alcohol is consumed in addition to a normal diet, food calories are used by the body while alcohol calories are stored as fat. If a person decreases food consumption to compensate for the alcohol, then poor nutrition is the result because alcohol does not contain the vitamins, proteins and other necessary nutrients present in food.
Weight will not be lost as normal metabolic processes become affected by lack of the nutrients required. This added to the extra loss of B vitamins and zinc compounds the problem and causes ill health, poor skin, nail and hair conditions, poor circulation, cognitive functions and memory loss. Continued alcohol abuse will lead to further health problems such as stomach and digestive disorders, bowel dysfunctions, personality changes, anxiety, paranoia and depression, bone and dental problems, arthritis, oral, throat, stomach and bowel cancers, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder and kidney problems, hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, organ failures and death.
How Alcohol Travels Through the Body
Alcohol is metabolized extremely quickly by the body. Unlike foods, which require time for digestion, alcohol needs no digestion and is quickly absorbed. Alcohol gets "VIP" treatment in the body - absorbing and metabolizing before most other nutrients. About 20 percent is absorbed directly across the walls of an empty stomach and can reach the brain within one minute.
Once alcohol reaches the stomach, it begins to break down with the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme. This process reduces the amount of alcohol entering the blood by approximately 20%. (Women produce less of this enzyme, which may help to partially explain why women become more intoxicated on less alcohol than men.). In addition, about 10% of the alcohol is expelled in the breath and urine.
Alcohol is rapidly absorbed in the upper portion of the small intestine. The alcohol-laden blood then travels to the liver via the veins and capillaries of the digestive tract, which affects nearly every liver cell. The liver cells are the only cells in our body that can produce enough of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to oxidize alcohol at an appreciable rate.
Though alcohol affects every organ of the body, it's most dramatic impact is upon the liver. The liver cells normally prefer fatty acids as fuel, and package excess fatty acids as triglycerides, which they then route to other tissues of the body. However, when alcohol is present, the liver cells are forced to first metabolize the alcohol, letting the fatty acids accumulate, sometimes in huge amounts. Alcohol metabolism permanently changes liver cell structure, which impairs the liver's ability to metabolize fats. This explains why heavy drinkers tend to develop fatty livers
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