Hidden Dangers of Alcohol - Plus a Good?
There is a big hub-a-baloo over alcohol and whether people should drink it or not, how much, when and where.
Personally, I feel it is the responsibility of the person to make these decisions, not anyone else.
And when people do consume alcohol, it should be done in a responsible way so no one else is harmed in the process.
That aside, there are hidden dangers of alcohol that many people don't realize.
We have been long acquainted with the saying alcohol kills brain cells.
It is sort-of true; alcohol affects the brain and can strip the myelin sheath around nerve cells and cause them to die.
This not only happens in the brain, but throughout the body.
Alcohol does a number on the liver, but do you know why? A healthy liver can process about 1 oz of alcohol per hour.
The rest of the alcohol goes through your system and is 'stored' in other parts until the liver can metabolize it.
This storage can cause serious problems, such as muscle pain, arthritis pain, heart failure and brain injury.
The liver is a very important organ and while it is consumed with the processing of the alcohol, it cannot do what it is supposed to.
One of the chief concerns is that medications are not processed in due time.
Any back up of medication in the system can cause the medication to be more effective.
So, if you are taking a medication to reduce your heart rate, taking alcohol with it can cause your heart to slow further.
Plus, with alcohol being a depressant, the medications can turn fatal quickly.
The toxic by-products and additives are also not processed while the liver is consumed with alcohol.
These toxic additives, like preservatives, colorings and artificial sugars, then are stored in fat tissue.
Because our body knows it will poison itself if that fat tissue is used for energy, you are unable to lose that fat tissue no matter how hard you exercise.
Thus, alcohol makes you fatter.
Over time, the alcohol starts to destroy the liver itself.
This is why heavy drinkers often die of liver disease.
When the liver begins to degrade, its ability to process fat and chemicals decreases.
These fats and chemicals are stored in the body, particularly in the liver and fat cells.
The liver swells and fat tissue swells and drinks obtain the 'beer gut'.
Even casual drinks begin to see this effect.
Drinkers often develop diabetes.
This is because one of the pathways for the processing of alcohol turns the alcohol into sugar.
It's similar to drinking a soda.
In addition, drinkers often have poor diets.
With the onset of diabetes, the alcohol processing is slowed.
Any complications from diabetes is increased, such as blindness and amputation.
Different descent can play a factor as well.
People of Asian descent are better able to process alcohol, but pay the price because the toxic by-products build up far quicker than the body's ability to process them.
Caucasians face the challenge of not breaking the alcohol down as quickly, so it remains in the system longer.
Besides, most alcohol has no nutritional value.
A few have some.
Fresh local beers, the kind with the yeasts still active, provide a large amount of B12 vitamin.
However, any processing, like pasteurization, bottling or storing, destroys the health effects and you are left with a nutritionally dead product.
Any beer in a can or bottle has no health benefits.
All hard liquor has no health benefits.
Red wine is often talked about as healthy.
In servings of about 4oz per day, dark red wine is healthy when consumed with a mid-day meal.
The flavonoids from the grapes are extremely heart healthy and can help reduce cholesterol and reduce the chances of a stroke or heart attack.
The lighter the wine, however, the less the benefits.
Here's the bottom line: if you do drink, choose one of the healthier options.
Avoid hard liquor and pasteurized beers.
Keep within the 4 oz of a drink.
Just know alcohol is generally unhealthy.
Outside of the healthier types and quantity, alcohol destroys our bodies.
The choice is now ours to make.
Personally, I feel it is the responsibility of the person to make these decisions, not anyone else.
And when people do consume alcohol, it should be done in a responsible way so no one else is harmed in the process.
That aside, there are hidden dangers of alcohol that many people don't realize.
We have been long acquainted with the saying alcohol kills brain cells.
It is sort-of true; alcohol affects the brain and can strip the myelin sheath around nerve cells and cause them to die.
This not only happens in the brain, but throughout the body.
Alcohol does a number on the liver, but do you know why? A healthy liver can process about 1 oz of alcohol per hour.
The rest of the alcohol goes through your system and is 'stored' in other parts until the liver can metabolize it.
This storage can cause serious problems, such as muscle pain, arthritis pain, heart failure and brain injury.
The liver is a very important organ and while it is consumed with the processing of the alcohol, it cannot do what it is supposed to.
One of the chief concerns is that medications are not processed in due time.
Any back up of medication in the system can cause the medication to be more effective.
So, if you are taking a medication to reduce your heart rate, taking alcohol with it can cause your heart to slow further.
Plus, with alcohol being a depressant, the medications can turn fatal quickly.
The toxic by-products and additives are also not processed while the liver is consumed with alcohol.
These toxic additives, like preservatives, colorings and artificial sugars, then are stored in fat tissue.
Because our body knows it will poison itself if that fat tissue is used for energy, you are unable to lose that fat tissue no matter how hard you exercise.
Thus, alcohol makes you fatter.
Over time, the alcohol starts to destroy the liver itself.
This is why heavy drinkers often die of liver disease.
When the liver begins to degrade, its ability to process fat and chemicals decreases.
These fats and chemicals are stored in the body, particularly in the liver and fat cells.
The liver swells and fat tissue swells and drinks obtain the 'beer gut'.
Even casual drinks begin to see this effect.
Drinkers often develop diabetes.
This is because one of the pathways for the processing of alcohol turns the alcohol into sugar.
It's similar to drinking a soda.
In addition, drinkers often have poor diets.
With the onset of diabetes, the alcohol processing is slowed.
Any complications from diabetes is increased, such as blindness and amputation.
Different descent can play a factor as well.
People of Asian descent are better able to process alcohol, but pay the price because the toxic by-products build up far quicker than the body's ability to process them.
Caucasians face the challenge of not breaking the alcohol down as quickly, so it remains in the system longer.
Besides, most alcohol has no nutritional value.
A few have some.
Fresh local beers, the kind with the yeasts still active, provide a large amount of B12 vitamin.
However, any processing, like pasteurization, bottling or storing, destroys the health effects and you are left with a nutritionally dead product.
Any beer in a can or bottle has no health benefits.
All hard liquor has no health benefits.
Red wine is often talked about as healthy.
In servings of about 4oz per day, dark red wine is healthy when consumed with a mid-day meal.
The flavonoids from the grapes are extremely heart healthy and can help reduce cholesterol and reduce the chances of a stroke or heart attack.
The lighter the wine, however, the less the benefits.
Here's the bottom line: if you do drink, choose one of the healthier options.
Avoid hard liquor and pasteurized beers.
Keep within the 4 oz of a drink.
Just know alcohol is generally unhealthy.
Outside of the healthier types and quantity, alcohol destroys our bodies.
The choice is now ours to make.
