Drinking alcohol is a risk factor for premature death, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it shortens the life expectancy of South Koreans by about 11.1 months. Alcohol, the main ingredient in alcohol, causes serious damage to several body organs, including the brain, liver, and heart, and causes memory loss, digestive system diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, among others. Recent studies have shown that even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful to your health, which is why the government recommends that you stay away from alcohol as much as possible to prevent cancer.
Alcohol is a risk factor for premature death. According to a study published by the World Health Organization (WHO), South Koreans have about 11.1 months less life expectancy due to alcohol consumption. It’s not just the health of the individual, but the healthspan of the country as a whole, making it a serious social and economic problem. So what exactly does alcohol do to our bodies?
Alcohol, the main component of alcohol, is indigestible and is absorbed into the body’s tissues through the blood plasma. Acetaldehyde, which is produced when the liver breaks down alcohol, is a highly toxic substance that interferes with DNA replication and even destroys it. If released in excess, it can affect the brain and other organs after drinking, which is what causes a hangover. Hangovers are more than just a malaise or headache; studies have shown that repeated hangovers can lead to long-term health problems. The redness of the face when you drink alcohol is also related to acetaldehyde, which causes blood vessels to widen and increase blood flow, resulting in visible capillary dilation. This flushing isn’t just a physiological reaction, but can be a sign that your body is not metabolizing alcohol properly.
Alcohol destroys memory cells and significantly reduces memory. Excessive alcohol consumption, especially during adolescence and young adulthood, can adversely affect brain development, leading to serious consequences such as cognitive decline in the long run. It also reduces the activity of the central nervous system, causing a loss of self-control. This is why, after drinking alcohol, people tend to behave unruly or become more talkative. Often, the day after drinking a lot of alcohol, people don“t remember the previous day. This phenomenon of not remembering anything after drinking or having lapses in memory is called Korsakoff”s syndrome. Korsakoff’s syndrome is a memory disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamine and vitamin B1 due to excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol causes the hippocampus, an organ responsible for memory, to shrink and lose function, which can progress to alcoholic dementia if it becomes severe enough. Recent studies have shown that the number of people with alcoholic dementia is on the rise worldwide, and it’s one of the leading causes of dementia, especially in older adults. In addition, alcohol can paralyze the cerebellum, causing a loss of balance, and continued heavy drinking can lead to alcoholic cerebellar degeneration, alcoholic peripheral neuritis, and Wernicke’s encephalopathy.
Alcohol enters the mouth, causing oral cancer, tongue cancer, and pharyngitis. It can also irritate the esophagus, causing esophagitis or esophageal cancer. The risk of developing these cancers is even higher if you drink and smoke at the same time, because alcohol acts as an accelerator for the absorption of carcinogens. It also irritates the stomach, causing it to produce more hydrochloric acid, which can damage the stomach mucosa and lead to alcoholic gastritis and stomach ulcers. Long-term drinking significantly increases the risk of digestive system diseases, which can eventually lead to chronic health problems.
The liver is the most damaged organ by alcohol. The liver produces enzymes that break down alcohol, and the amount of these enzymes determines the amount of alcohol you can drink. In other words, the more enzymes you have, the more alcohol you can drink and not get drunk. However, this doesn”t mean that you can avoid the harmful effects of alcohol. When alcohol enters the body, triglycerides from adipose tissue are transferred to the liver, where the synthesis of fatty acids takes place. In addition, liver disorders can cause fat to accumulate in the liver because the liver doesn”t produce the proteins necessary to transport fat to the tissues. This alcoholic liver fat is eliminated and returns to normal only 2-3 days after drinking, but continuous drinking causes fat to accumulate in the liver, leading to fatty liver, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. In South Korea, liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, and one of the main causes is alcohol consumption, which further emphasizes the dangers of drinking alcohol. The pancreas is an organ that secretes digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and is closely related to diabetes. When stimulated by alcohol, the pancreas secretes a lot of pancreatic juice, and the duodenum swells, which can block the exit of the pancreatic juice, causing it to back up into the tissues, which is dangerous. Pancreatitis can be life-threatening if it occurs acutely, and if it develops into chronic pancreatitis, it increases the risk of developing diabetes.
When the heart is stimulated by alcohol, it can cause a faster heartbeat and higher blood pressure, which puts strain on the heart and can lead to cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. Alcohol also suppresses the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow and reduces the number of white blood cells, which reduces the body’s defenses and destroys platelets. Not only does this lower your immune system, making you vulnerable to various infectious diseases, but it can also lead to poor clotting in the event of bleeding, which can be very dangerous. This is especially true for older adults and people with chronic diseases, who may be at greater risk from alcohol consumption.
Alcohol causes calcium to be excreted in the urine, reducing its concentration in the body. The lack of calcium has direct and indirect effects on the body”s osteoblasts, causing anemia, weakening bone function, and preventing the production of new bone. In people with osteoporosis, alcohol further reduces bone strength, increasing the risk of fractures. Alcohol also leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. In severe cases, this can lead to conditions such as myocardial infarction, high blood pressure, stroke, and arrhythmia. These physical risks of drinking increase the societal costs, and the medical costs of accidents and illnesses caused by drinking are a significant national burden.
As we’ve seen, alcohol adversely affects many organs, including the nervous, digestive, circulatory, and gastrointestinal systems. While moderate alcohol consumption is often associated with health benefits, such as protection against dementia, recent studies have shown that even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful and that there is no link between moderate alcohol consumption and health. In fact, as little as one to two drinks a day have been shown to increase the risk of cancer by as little as 5% and as much as 30%. As a result, the government has revised its cancer prevention guidelines, recommending that people stay away from alcohol as much as possible. In addition, the problem of alcoholism can extend beyond the individual to become a social problem, making social support and education to prevent and deal with it even more important. Therefore, it is beneficial to be aware of the effects of alcohol on the human body and stay away from it.
