Alcohol drinks are mainly ethanol—fermentation of various fruits, vegetables, and cereals forms alcohol. Fermentation of grapes forms wine, and grains form Beer. Spirit, on the other hand, undergo another step of distillation where water is removed and thus consists of higher concentrations of alcohol. Although the effects of alcohol abuse can be observed in various organs, alcohols’ immediate target is the brain.
Risk factors associated with alcohol abuse
Consuming alcohol drinks on a regular basis, and more than 14 alcohol units per week can result in various problems. Frequently encountered effects include:-
- Reduced reaction time
- Reduced coordination
- Impaired vision
- Inability to think straight
Effect to Liver
Alcohol affects the liver. The major problem is a Fatty Liver. The fat in liver cells increases gradually. This is usually reversible. This is common in 90% of those individuals who drink more than 15 ml of alcohol per day.
Liver inflammation is another encountered problem due to alcohol consumption. In addition, the worst-case scenario is the replacement of dead liver cells with scar tissue. This results in a condition called Liver Cirrhosis. It is irreversible, and the only treatment includes liver transplantation.
How alcohol abuse affects the brain?
The immediate effect of alcohol is that it breaks chemical signals and causes intoxication. Others include slurred speech, poor memory, and reflexes. Alcohol affects the brain chemistry by altering the activity of the neurotransmitters. It either influences the excitatory or inhibitory effects of neurotransmitters.
It enhances the inhibitory activity of GABA, causing a lack of stability and balance. At the same time, it inhibits the excitatory action of Glutamate. In addition, alcohol increases Dopamine in the brains’ reward center that gives the feeling of pleasure when one consumes it.
After it leaves the system, the brain continues over activating the neurotransmitters causing painful and potential withdrawal symptoms in the brain. This damage worsens by binge drinking and sudden withdrawal.
Two of the major problems include:-
- Neurotoxicity: When neurons react to neurotransmitters for too long, it results in neurotoxicity. Too much exposure of neurons to neurotransmitters causes the neurons to ‘burn out.’ Since neurons form pathways and connect different parts of the brain to each other, burning out of neurons, and disrupting the connections result in slow reaction rate, memory lapses, lack of coordination and stability. As a result, short-term memory lapse called blackouts and Amnesia develop. Blackouts are frequent in heavy drinkers or binge drinkers. They don’t remember the episodes after the blackout but seem to remember details before it. These are temporary problems in the brain.
- Brain shrinkage: Alcohol decreases brain volume. It reduces the gray matter and white matter, which are the cell bodies and cell pathways, respectively. Therefore, the chronic damage of this reduction includes impaired brain function. In other words, Dementia. It is common in middle-aged and old-aged adults. However, it improves with low to moderate alcohol consumption in older adults. It worsens by mal-nutrition (Especially Vitamin B) and heavy alcohol consumption. For instance, Hippocampal Atrophy and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which leads to Amnesia. In prolonged untreated conditions, it can lead to a coma.
Among all other effects, memory and higher functions like problem-solving and impulse control are more susceptible to damage. The damage is more in Adolescents and is long-lasting and permanent as the brain parts are still developing at that age.
What happens in recovery?
Abstinence of alcohol can reverse these conditions. MRI studies suggest both damage and improvement. The lost gray matter increases in less than two weeks—the brain tissue in alcoholics increases after three months of abstinence.
Relapse into heavy consumption can reverse the regeneration. Moreover, cognitive improvements are found after a year of sobriety. It includes memory and attention. This regeneration recreates new pathways for neurons that were initially damaged due to alcohol abuse.
Etiquette for alcohol consumption
The good etiquette for alcohol drink consumption is 14 alcohol units per week. One alcohol unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. One unit of alcohol takes 1 hour to process in our body. Anyway, the quantity in one alcohol unit varies with each beverage.
How one alcohol unit looks
| 218ml | Standard 4.5% cider |
| 76ml | Standard 13% wine |
| 250ml | Standard 4% beer |
| 25ml | Standard 40% whiskey |
The alcohol percentage is usually mentioned on the label of beverage with ABV (Alcohol By Volume) units.
How 14 alcohol units look
| 6 pints | 4% beer |
1 pint = 583ml (if 1 pint = 330ml, then 10.6 pints of 4% Beer) |
| 6 glasses | 13% wine | 1 glass = 175ml |
| 14 glasses | 40% spirit | 1 glass = 25ml |
Healthiest alcohol drinks
Although alcohol affects us in many ways, largely due to peer pressure or being left out, people still consume alcohol. So it is important to take the healthiest alcoholic beverage.
- Tequila: It consists of sugar that has way fewer calories than compared to Vodka. The main sugar in Tequila is not digestible and hence won’t increase the blood sugar levels. Furthermore, it helps reduce cholesterol and helps lose weight.
- Red wine: All varieties of wine come down to sugar that is bad for health, except red wine. The active compound in red wine is Polyphenol, which reduces the glucose hitting in the bloodstream and is known to reduce aging, i.e., helps you live longer.
- Rum: Rum is made from molasses and other sugarcane byproducts. It has various health benefits, which include reducing anxiety levels.
- Whiskey: Whiskey contains many antioxidants, and a shot of Whiskey can serve as a treatment for cold. Besides, it contains Ellagic acid that fights antigens.
- Champagne: This bubbly drink can enhance memory and helps improve the quality of the skin.
How to limit alcohol?
- Alcohol can be limited by spreading the 14 units to the whole week.
- Avoid caffeinated alcoholic beverages.
- It’s always better to measure and consume (small quantities of 125 ml is preferred)
- Track the consumption
- Pour your own drink. When the host constantly fills the half-glass, it’s tough to make a count
- Limit alcohol in one session
- Drink it slowly with altering food
Reasons for alcohol consumption
It is now a part of many cultures and traditions. Other reasons are :
- Peer pressure
- Being left out in a party
- Feeling more social or outgoing
- Avoid dealing with problems, anxiety, depression
- Just because ‘Everyone is doing it.’
Addiction to Alcohol
Teens are a large group of people that get addicted to alcohol. Alcohol helps them fight depression, which is common in teenagers. Hence, they are highly vulnerable to alcohol at this age. In teenagers, the prefrontal cortex develops gradually and is responsible for learning and memory. If an individual at this age is inclined towards drinking, it means that the brain is learning alcohol consumption and craves for more by time.
It increases Dopamine in the brains’ reward center, which gives the feeling of pleasure when consumed. Other factors for this addiction also include family history, environmental factors, mental health, and genetics. It is very important to limit alcohol consumption as alcohol also affects sleep.
Can alcohol abuse disrupt sleep?
Alcohol promotes sleep and also works as a sleeping aid. Moreover, individuals who have trouble sleeping and suffer from insomnia use it. Additionally, the immediate impact of alcohol is that it reduces the time to fall asleep and influences people to use it as a sleep aid. It is very important to follow etiquette for alcohol consumption to be on the safer side.
Although alcohol affects sleep by promoting deep sleep, it reduces the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after the start of the sleep cycle. It is the stage where we usually dream. Reducing REM sleep can cause us to wake with dizziness. The consequences of disturbances in REM sleep include poor concentration, sleepwalking, and sleep talking as well. It also affects memory.
However, cumulatively it disrupts the sleep cycle, particularly in the second half of the night’s sleep. More the consumption of alcohol, the more are the disruptions. Alcohol also affects sleep by reducing the rate of breathing, tending to reduce sleep apnea, and lowers body temperature, which can be life-threatening. Therefore, never use alcohol as a sleep aid. More usage results in alcohol dependence where an individual fails to fall asleep without alcohol.
