Like most things in life, alcohol is a two-edged sword. Its health benefits have been known for a long time. Even the Bible mentions the good effects of alcohol consumption. Moderate alcohol consumption can help prevent numerous disorders, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and many other health problems. But beware: it is a MODERATE consumption.
On the other hand, immoderate consumption can LEAD to a multitude of health problems. Anyone who has ever had too much to drink and had a hangover the next day can attest to that. The headache and accompanying nausea and vomiting are not fun at all. Sometimes this trio is accompanied by a fourth symptom: body aches. It’s something like the Three Musketeers and their friend D’Artagnan. Fortunately, hangovers are a temporary effect of excessive alcohol consumption. Time and sufficient sleep will dissipate these effects.
There are, however, more lasting effects. For one thing, if you constantly drink too much alcohol, you will gain weight. Alcohol has a lot of calories. And yes, it’s true. Drinking too much beer will give you a beer belly. Not very attractive. But that’s not the real problem. Excessive weight gain can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Heavy alcohol use over a long period of time puts you at higher risk of developing cancer. Alcohol is not a significant carcinogen, but the International Agency for Research on Cancer has found sufficient evidence to prove that alcohol may have a carcinogenic effect. Two to four percent of cancer cases may be directly or indirectly related to excessive alcohol consumption. And it’s definitely a co-carcinogen, which means it strengthens the cancer-causing properties of other substances in your body. For example, if you smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, alcohol will increase the negative effects of nicotine on your body.
Liver disease is a common side effect of excessive alcohol consumption. It can cause three types of liver conditions: fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. You see, the liver can only cope with a certain amount of alcohol a day. Go beyond this amount and the liver becomes stressed, preventing its normal function.
Other potential health disorders that excessive alcohol use can cause include stomach disorders, pancreatitis, damage to nerve tissue, depression, anxiety, impotence, harm to fetuses, and alcohol dependence. Also, when you drink too much alcohol you weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds, the flu, or whatever virus is circulating. More alcohol consumption is closely related to a higher risk of fatal accidents. Nothing is worse for health than a fatal accident.
“But what about all the health benefits you mentioned at the beginning of this article?” you may be wondering Yes, of course, those are real. I wasn’t making it up. But remember, the benefits come with moderate consumption. So what does moderate translate to? Well, in the US, that would be one drink a day for a woman or two drinks for a man. UK standards allow two to three units of alcohol per day for women and three to four units for men. If you can consistently maintain those levels, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. The thing is, the trend in most cultures is to encourage excessive alcohol consumption.
So take a good look at your drinking patterns. You don’t have to give up alcohol, but consider whether cutting back is in your best interest. Discover your real situation.