What are the effects of alcohol on the body?
You find in this video and in this article in Health blog, well-being:
- The definition of alcohol
- The different stages of alcohol absorption
- HAS What corresponds to the degree or percentage of alcohol of an alcoholic drink?
- HAS What corresponds to 1 standard glass of alcohol
- Definition of blood alcohol levels
- How is alcohol eliminated by our body?
- The mode of operation of ethylots?
- The alcohol threshold tolerated in France
- Why is alcohol toxic to our health?
- The effects of alcohol on the brain and the liver
- The cumulative effects of alcohol and tobacco on our health
- Drunkenness and its different complications
- Alcohol consumption in the event of depression or anxiety
- Alcohol consumption in the event of pregnancy and the consequences in the newborn
- Recommendations on alcohol consumption
I make a little reminder on alcohol and its different uses.
Alcohol is ethanol molecule, it is also called ethyl alcohol.
Alcohol is produced from the fermentation process (transformation of substances under the influence of different enzymes which are activators of chemical reactions present in the breasts of microorganisms, bacteria or mushrooms).
Fermentation transforms carbohydrates from different plants into alcohol. Each type of plants allows the production of a different alcohol. For example, the grape leads to wine production, the apple allows cider to be produced, wheat grains are used for the manufacture of vodka, barley grains gives whiskey, ...
Distillation is a chemistry technique that captures pure alcohol.
The degree or percentage of alcohol corresponds to the amount of pure alcohol contained in 100 ml of the product in question, the higher this percentage or degree, the more the product is concentrated in alcohol, that is to say it contains more.
The alcohols used in drinks are 5 ° for beer at 45 ° for pastis.
A drink is said to be alcoholic when it contains more than 1 % alcohol.
When alcohol enters our body, it passes, the esophagus then the stomach and it is absorbed quickly by the small intestine, where it passes through the blood to be distributed to the various organs and in particular to the brain and the liver.
Alcohol is largely eliminated by the liver (95 %) where he is metabolized (transformed) in acetaldehyde (highly toxic molecule) then in acetate.
The rest of the alcohol (5 %) is eliminated by the kidneys via urine, skin through sweat, lungs by expiring air and saliva.
It is by using the alcohol ability to be eliminated in the expired air that ethylots work, they measure the volume of alcohol in the expired air. This makes it possible to detect the blood alcohol level (amount of alcohol present in the person's blood), the threshold authorized in France is 0.5g/L blood (2-3 standardized glasses).
The blood alcohol level varies depending on different factors such as sex (Les women tend to have a greater blood alcohol level than men for the same amount of alcohol consumed), Lhas corpulence (the more the person has a small morphology, the more her blood alcohol level is important), the amount of alcohol consumed, the speed of consumption, the accompaniment by food or not and the factors Genetics (some People really find it difficult to eliminate alcohol, their faces gets red, they can also have headaches and nausea, after consuming alcohol).
The more empty the stomach and the consumption of alcohol is done over a short term the more the blood alcohol level increases rapidly.
You should know that the amount of alcohol distributed in bars and restaurants is standardized in France.
A standard glass of alcohol, increases the blood alcohol level from 0.20 to 0.25g/l after an hour after taking whatever the type of alcohol consumed, the more the drink ordered has a high degree of alcohol, the less there will be in the glass served.
If the person has not eaten for 2 hours, this rate has been reached after 30 minutes. Then this rate gradually decreases, after 1 h 30 BU alcohol glass can be considered like eliminating from the body.
Basically, it takes about 2 to 3 hours to eliminate 1 glass of standard alcohol which wet 10 g pure alcohol.
When it comes to the brain, alcohol leads to a change in the person's state of consciousness. It causes a feeling of relaxation, euphoria, excitement, it uninhibited and removes timidity, it releases speech, but it also reduces reflexes.
These symptoms occur by the action of ethanol which interferes in many processes of brain transmission of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers of the brain) such as dopamine.
Alcohol taking results in an increase in the rate of dopamine, opioids, serotonin, gaba, causing the positive effects of alcohol, it is the circuit of the reward.
On the contrary, the lack of alcohol lead a decrease in these chemical messengers and therefore their lack, but also an increase in the rate of Crfet of Npy Promoting the state of stress and anxiety from which relapse.
As a result, alcohol consumption causes a feeling of dependence.
You should know that alcohol has the ability to enter into the interior of nerve cells (neurons) And to change the expression of genes.
It promotes the mutation of genes within the cells of the organism, hence its carcinogenic effect.
Ethanol is transformed into acetaldehyde which is recognized as a real carcinogen, it causes mutations in DNA which escapes the security system and the multiplication of abnormal cells carrying mutation.
In addition, alcohol makes the aerodigestive tracks permeable at the entrance to toxic substances, notably produced by tobacco.
This phenomenon further promotes the risk of the appearance of cancer, hence the increase in the number of mouths in the mouth and throat in people who consume these 2 toxic products for our body.
Alcohol on long course lead a reduction in vitamin B9.
It is important to know that ethanol promotes the secretion of female hormones, these can interact with hormonal receptors and increase the risk of appearance of breast cancer.
Alcohol also causes the production of free radical (toxic molecules) which are responsible for the deterioration of liver, stomach and brain cells.
When the dose of alcohol becomes more important, it causes intoxication, the person becomes drunk, they can no longer coordinate their movements, to speak properly, drowsiness appears, it can lead to coma called ethyl coma which is a real emergency and can seriously put the life of the person in danger.
At this stage, the reflexes decrease more and more, the person no longer feels the feeling of cold, the blood vessels expand and the heat rises on the surface of the body then it flocks as soon as the body is in contact with the cold. The interior of the organization cools quickly and as the person is less sensitive to the alert signs that his organization gives, it leads to hypothermia which can be fatal if the person is not taken care of quickly.
Important memory losses can also appear.
Consumption of a large amount of alcohol in a short time can cause a significant heart rate disorder and a sudden death.
Consumed regularly, alcohol has long -term harmful effects even in small quantities.
It is a risk factor for many serious illnesses such as cancers (mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, rectum colon, breast), cardiovascular diseases (high blood pressure, increases the risk of cerebral hemorrhage, disruption of the heart rate), diseases affecting the digestive and nervous system as well as mental diseases.
It also causes troubles of memory, concentration, an inability to make decisions, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, ..
Alcohol consumption also increases the risk of the appearance of a cirrhosis liver. This is a chronic and irreversible disease, it is translated By the progressive destruction of liver cells, it deteriorates and can no longer function properly.
Cirrhosis can evolve in liver cancer gradually. The only treatment becomes transplantation or transplantation. It is possible to stabilize the disease when it has not evolved too much thanks to the treatments, but especially with the cessation of alcohol consumption.
Excessive alcohol consumption is often accompanied by a loss of appetite and therefore multiple deficiencies food that even more deteriorates the body of the person.
The more alcohol consumption is done at a young age, the more the complications come quickly, especially in the brain.
Many people with depression Or anxiety consume alcohol to remedy these mental diseases. You should know that alcohol can promote depression or anxiety and make it even more severe over the long term, the state of occasional improvement can quickly lead to a state of dependence non-favored to the body because of its many damage within the various bodies, but also on the family and socio-professional relationships of the person because of mood disorders, behavior, ...
So this is really not the right solution to effectively treat these mental disorders.
Regarding pregnant women, you should know that alcohol passes directly into the fetus's blood in the same dose as the mother's blood with the difference that the mother will eliminate it more quickly. The liver of the fetus is not yet fully finalized, it has more difficulty eliminating this toxic substance for its body.
The consumption of alcohol in the event of pregnancy can lead to a delay in growth, the disorder of the central nervous system, disorders in brain development, intellectual delay, memory and learning disorder, behavioral problems, as well as irreversible malformations especially in the first months of pregnancy, appointed mental handicap non -genetic. It is therefore strictly forbidden to drink alcohol in case of pregnancy.
Dr Noura Morashi (Doctor of Pharmacy, YouTuber Health, creator of the health well-being Pharmaquiz application),
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