Everything has two sides, and alcohol is no exception. Drinking alcohol excessively for a long period of time can be harmful to health and offer no benefits to the body, just as the ancients said, "Excessive drinking leads to chaos" and "Drinking greatly harms the body". Comparing those who excessively drink or abstain from drinking with those who drink moderately, the average life expectancy of excessive drinkers can be significantly reduced, even by more than ten years. To avoid the harm caused by excessive drinking, it is necessary to understand some of its negative effects.
1. Long-term excessive drinking leads to nutritional deficiencies
Alcohol is a pure source of heat energy. It generates high calories, with 29.68 kilojoules or 7.1 kilocalories per gram of alcohol. Drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time can cause digestive system dysfunction and suppress appetite, resulting in reduced intake of nutritious food. Alcohol also damages the intestinal mucosa, directly affecting the absorption of nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals from food. Drinking excessively leads to eating less, and the result is nutritional deficiencies and various nutrient imbalances. The proportion of excessive drinkers experiencing malnutrition or gastrointestinal dysfunction is much higher than that of those with alcoholic cirrhosis.
2. Damages the liver
It is widely known that alcohol is harmful to the liver. Alcohol, specifically ethanol, in alcoholic beverages directly poisons the organs and tissues of the body. The liver, being the most affected organ, can suffer from impaired metabolism and develop cirrhosis and portal hypertension in severe cases. Alcohol consumption also affects liver fat metabolism, leading to alcoholic fatty liver disease. The progression of alcohol-induced liver damage starts with fatty liver, followed by fibrosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and eventually, liver cirrhosis.
3. Damages brain tissue
Excessive drinking not only damages the liver but also harms the nervous system, most notably by severely impairing normal brain function. Alcohol poisoning can occur when the alcohol concentration in the blood reaches 20 milligrams per 100 milliliters. Long-term excessive drinking seriously damages memory, attention, judgment, physical function, and emotional response. It affects brain cells and can even lead to brain atrophy. Intoxicated individuals experience slurred speech, blurred vision, loss of balance, alcohol-induced psychosis, and hallucinations, with more severe cases posing a risk to life.
4. Can lead to osteoporosis
Long-term drinkers experience decreased liver detoxification and metabolism, which affects the absorption of nutrients and disrupts calcium balance in the body. This results in decreased absorption of dietary calcium, increased urinary calcium excretion, and severe calcium deficiency in the bones. In a state of intoxication, bone flexibility decreases, making fractures more likely. Prolonged alcohol abuse can cause blocked blood vessels around the femoral head, leading to ischemic necrosis of the femoral head, known as alcoholic femoral head necrosis, which can cause disability.
5. Triggers diseases
Excessive drinking can lead to heart degeneration and stroke (cerebral hemorrhage). Excessive alcohol consumption, extreme emotions, and excessive indulgence are the three main factors that trigger strokes. Alcohol can impair blood function, most commonly causing anemia. When alcohol reaches a certain concentration in the blood, it suppresses the production of platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells, leading to hyperlipidemia. Alcohol oxidation can also cause lactic acidosis. Excessive alcohol consumption can also affect the endocrine system, causing impotence, infertility, prostatitis, and decreased sperm quality in males, and ovarian dysfunction, affecting fetal development, deformities, or miscarriages in females. Long-term excessive drinking makes the skin prone to blue congestion or bleeding and increases the risk of hypertension and stroke. Excessive alcohol consumption by females can also damage their beauty, leading to skin dehydration and weight gain.
6. Causes harm to society
Excessive drinking not only affects an individual's health but also poses risks to society, and this is not an exaggeration. It can lead to problems in family harmony, relationships with friends and colleagues, normal and orderly work and life, and traffic safety, among others.
