Something about Drinking Acohol During the Holidays
Alcohol is a toxic and psychoactive substance, whose use has become widespread in modern society. We can often hear the question: Why don’t you drink alcohol?”. Instead of supporting those who opt for water or other non-alcoholic drinks. Let’s say something about drinking alcohol.
What happens in the body when we drink alcohol?
The liver is mostly responsible for processing alcohol. When we drink alcohol, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) metabolizes ethanol (a type of alcohol) to acetaldehyde, which is toxic to the human body. The liver enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) then metabolizes acetaldehyde to acetate. Acetate is a less toxic compound that decomposes further into water and carbon dioxide.
Acetaldehyde and acetate are compounds that contribute to hangover symptoms. Other symptoms of alcohol consumption include drowsiness, difficulty concentrating. Also, there is dry mouth, dizziness, headache, gastrointestinal upset, sweating, nausea, and anxiety.
What side effects accompany alcohol consumption?
Alcohol consumption (especially in large quantities) has a number of health risks including high blood pressure, increased triglyceride levels, insulin resistance, heart and liver disease, stroke and some cancers.
In addition, there is a potential risk of weight gain because alcohol prevents the body from burning fat.
When consuming alcohol, the body first burns alcohol as the main source of fuel. Before that, it starts using carbohydrates and fats to produce energy. When the body uses alcohol as the primary source of energy, excess carbohydrates and fats are stored in the body as adipose tissue.
In addition, alcohol is high in calories, causes hunger, and reduces the feeling of satiety.
The World Health Organization does not set special restrictions on the amount of alcohol. All the evidence indicates that it is best not to consume alcoholic beverages at all. Namely, numerous studies have linked alcohol to about 60 different diagnoses. Also, it has been shown that the more alcohol is consumed, the higher the risk of developing the disease.
Drinking alcohol during the holidays
During the holidays, clear, strong alcoholic drinks such as gin and vodka are most often consumed. These drinks do not contain sugar. Fore example, brandy contains a large amount of sugar.
Quality red wine is the best option because it contains the antioxidant resveratrol. White wine and champagne contain less antioxidants and more sugar than red wine. It is best to look for a natural, organic variety of wine, which does not contain sulfate. Ciders, beer and cocktails are also on the holiday drink menu, and we consider that they are worst choices. We hope that with this text we have managed to explain to you the side effects of drinking alcohol