Alcohol has its place in society. It is used in social rituals all over the world, has a myriad of health benefits (when consumed in moderation), and is a fantastic social lubricant at times. But alcohol does come with its own risk. Read on to learn more about the health effects of alcohol on your body.
What is Alcohol?
The primary psychoactive ingredient contained in alcohol beverages is known as ethanol. Ethanol is basically the ingredient that makes you drunk or impaired. As a psychoactive substance, alcohol affects your mental state and mood. It lowers your self-consciousness, and inhibitions, which can play havoc with your judgment making abilities. The more alcohol you drink, the more compounded its effects become.
How Alcohol Affects Your Liver
Liver is the organ responsible for neutralizing toxic substances found in food you consume. Since the liver is already burdened with cleaning toxins out of the body, it is particularly vulnerable towards receiving damage from alcohol consumption. Specifically, over consumption of alcohol can lead to the development of fatty liver disease. This disease results in the liver becoming inflamed, which can cause liver cells to die and be covered in scar tissue. This system is known as cirrhosis.
Impact of Alcohol on Your Brain
One of the most harmful effects that alcohol can have on your body is to hurt your mind. Chronic alcohol abuse can permanently alter your brain and result in impaired brain function. It can also increase your chances of developing dementia and cause your brain to shrink or atrophy.
Depression
Alcohol does not just affect your cognitive abilities, it also affects your mood. Drinking too much alcohol can easily lead to a person experiencing depression. Both alcoholism and depression affect one another; it’s a rather vicious cycle: alcohol consumption leads to depression and depression leads to increased alcohol consumption.
