The Impact of Alcohol on Health

Excessive alcohol consumption is undoubtedly detrimental to health and well-being. Apart from causing chronic and life-threatening conditions, alcohol reduces the quality of life, diminishes productivity, impairs relationships, damages social reputation, weakens self-esteem, and incurs financial losses and liabilities.

What about its benefits? Let us address the question: Which is better—moderation or abstinence from alcohol?

Moderation or Abstinence?

To weigh the benefits and risks of moderate alcohol consumption, let’s understand what is “moderate”:

According to the CDC, moderate drinking is “up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.” 

The benefits of even moderate alcohol consumption have yet to be scientifically validated. To list out a few of its benefits:

• It can be part of a healthy lifestyle.
• Certain alcoholic drinks like red wine promote cardiovascular health due to antioxidants like resveratrol.
• Lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
• Facilitate social interactions and relaxation.
• Lowers the risk for dementia.  

On the other side, the risks associated with low to moderate alcohol consumption include:

• Increases the likelihood of developing certain cancers, such as breast and colorectal cancer.
• Leads to excessive consumption and substance abuse due to external or internal factors like stress, social persuasion, etc.
• Increases chances of weight gain if the calories for alcohol are not balanced by calory utilization through physical activities, etc.
• May interact with certain medications to produce side effects or reduce the effectiveness of the medicines.
• Consumption of even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can harm the fetus and increase the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
• May increase the risk of accidents and injuries, especially if combined with conditions like fatigue or medication.

From the above, it is clear that the risks outweigh the benefits, even for moderate alcohol consumption.

Now, let’s look into the benefits and risks of abstinence from alcohol consumption.

The benefits include:

• Complete abstinence from alcohol eliminates all the potential health-related risks associated with it, including addiction, heart and liver diseases, and risk of cancer.
• Abstinence is the only option for individuals who already suffer from health conditions involving the liver, heart, and reproduction. 
• Individuals with a history of alcohol addiction are advised to abstain entirely from alcohol after recovery, as even moderate consumption can significantly increase the risk of relapse.

Now, let’s look at the risks associated with complete abstinence:

• In cultures where alcohol consumption acts as a symbol of social status and socialization, individuals who abstain from alcohol may experience social isolation or exclusion.
• A vast proportion of alcoholics consume it to cope with stress and anxiety. Those who abstain from alcohol may need to find alternate ways to manage stress, which may be somewhat challenging.
• Abruptly stopping heavy alcohol consumption for abstinence can lead to severe, potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. In such cases, a gradual reduction in alcohol intake is recommended to minimize the risks associated with withdrawal. 

From the above comparison of the benefits and risks of both approaches, it is clear that: 

• Moderation is often considered advisable for healthy individuals who do not have a history or tendency of alcohol abuse or related health conditions.

Abstinence is better for individuals who are vulnerable to or have a history of addiction, have a risk of developing alcohol-related health issues, or want to rule out the long-term risks entirely.

The Impact of Alcohol on Health

While moderate alcohol consumption poses some benefits and some less severe health issues, moderation has a high tendency to become excessive due to the addictive nature of alcohol. Excessive consumption, with or without addiction, can lead to severe life-threatening health conditions. Excessive alcohol intake is proven to be harmful to the entire body, affecting most of the vital organs, body mechanisms, and functions. Here are some ways by which moderate to excessive alcohol consumption impacts health.

Heart Health

Despite the risks, moderate alcohol consumption has some health benefits on heart health.

• Research shows that moderate alcohol consumption increases the “good” HDL cholesterol production by 10% to 20%. HDL cholesterol carries the “bad” LDL cholesterol to the liver, where it is processed and removed from the body.
• Moderate amounts of alcohol can help to reduce blood clotting. Alcohol acts as a blood thinner, reducing the stickiness of the platelets, which are responsible for clot formation. This reduces the risks of clot-related issues like arterial blockages that can cause heart attacks and strokes.  
• In moderate amounts, alcohol helps the dilation of blood vessels (vasodilation), improving the blood flow and causing a temporary reduction in blood pressure. However, this effect occurs immediately after moderate consumption and is often short-lived.

Now, let’s look at the cardiovascular health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption, whether short-term or long-term.

• Excessive alcohol intake for a prolonged period stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to the narrowing of blood vessels, a condition known as vasoconstriction. This increases the workload on the heart due to the strain of pumping blood through the narrow pathways, leading to high blood pressure, a condition known as hypertension.
• When the blood vessels are constantly strained due to hypertension, the arterial walls will stiffen, resulting in a condition known as atherosclerosis that restricts blood flow, leading to chronic conditions such as heart attack, peripheral artery disease, and stroke.
• The constant and heavy workload of pumping blood through narrow arteries weakens the heart muscles. This situation increases the risk of severe heart conditions such as cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle), arrhythmias (abnormal and irregular heartbeats), and heart failure.
• When excessive alcohol is consumed, the body prioritizes breaking down the alcohol into other substances like acetaldehyde, water, and energy. This prioritization slows down the metabolism of fats, causing an accumulation of triglycerides in the blood. Increased levels of triglycerides act as a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis, leading to heart attacks and stroke.
• Elevated blood pressure for a prolonged period or chronic hypertension acts as a significant risk factor for both ischemic strokes (due to blocked arteries) and hemorrhagic strokes (due to bleeding in the brain).
• Excessive alcohol drinking affects the heart’s electrical activity, leading to irregular heartbeats known as atrial fibrillation, a type of cardiac arrhythmia. These abnormal heart rhythms disrupt the heart’s regular pumping of blood, allowing blood to pool in the heart and forming clots that can travel to the brain to cause stroke.
• Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to excessive blood thinning, affecting the body’s ability to control blood clotting. This situation increases the risk of hemorrhagic strokes caused by bleeding in the brain due to ruptured blood vessels.

Brain Health

Alcohol damages brain cells, impairs cognitive functions, increases the risk of strokes, and induces severe mental issues. Here are the common adverse effects of excessive and prolonged alcohol consumption on brain health.

• Alcohol abuse causes brain shrinkage or atrophy, adversely affecting the areas of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and decision-making.
• Even small quantities of regular alcohol intake cause impaired cognitive functions, affecting memory, learning, problem-solving abilities, concentration, and focus.
• Excessive drinking causes inflammation in the brain, which can damage brain cells and impair brain functions.
• Excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for stroke, causing brain damage. Strokes may result in severe health conditions such as weakness or paralysis, loss of sensations, difficulty speaking, cognitive impairments, and incontinence.
• While low to moderate, occasional drinking may provide relaxation, excessive and long-term alcohol consumption leads to serious mental problems. These include depression, anxiety, mood swings, panic attacks, and psychosis.
• Heavy consumption of alcohol causes a neurological condition known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, resulting because of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. It causes symptoms like memory loss, confusion, and movement disorders.
• Excessive alcohol consumption or sudden withdrawal causes alcohol-related seizures. These are caused by sudden drops in blood sugar levels or alcohol intoxication. Alcohol withdrawal seizures occur when a person who has been consuming alcohol for an extended period stops taking it suddenly.

Liver Health

The liver plays a pivotal role in the processing of alcohol. Excessive alcohol intake severely burdens it, causing disorders, malfunctions, and malignant transformations. Most of these complications are progressive and irreversible. The common liver diseases and complications due to heavy alcohol consumption are:

• The preliminary stage of liver disease due to alcohol consumption is fatty liver caused by excessive accumulation of fat on the liver. The excess fat is produced due to many reasons, including breaking up of alcohol calories, alcohol-induced impaired fat metabolism, alcohol-related liver inflammation, and insulin resistance due to alcohol consumption.
• A more severe form of liver inflammation caused by prolonged consumption of too much alcohol is known as alcoholic hepatitis. It is a serious inflammatory condition caused when alcohol destroys liver cells, leading to liver dysfunction. Symptoms include jaundice, abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and fatigue. The condition may worsen to become life-threatening with complications like liver failure and bleeding.
• As excessive alcohol consumption continues despite the initial inflammation and fatty liver, a more chronic condition results, known as liver cirrhosis. It is caused when alcohol progressively damages liver cells, creating injury and inflammation, leading to fibrosis and the formation of scar tissues. Since this scarring is permanent, damaging the liver tissues, liver malfunction happens, affecting essential processes like detoxification, protein synthesis, and blood flow regulation. More severe complications include liver failure, portal hypertension, and a significant risk of liver cancer.
• Prolonged consumption of excessive alcohol leads to repeated inflammation and scarring (fibrosis) of liver tissue, causing alcoholic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. At this stage, the liver tissues are severely damaged to such a level that creates a conducive environment for the development of cancer cells. Such damages prevent natural cell repair and regeneration processes, raising the risk of cancer development.

Pancreatic Health

The pancreas is a vital gland that plays a significant role in digestion and blood sugar regulation. It produces essential hormones, including insulin and glucagon. Excessive alcohol consumption damages the pancreatic cells, affecting many critical pancreatic functions and damaging the pancreas itself. The major complications affecting the pancreas due to alcohol are:

• Excessive alcohol induces inflammation in the pancreas, damaging the pancreatic tissues. This condition disrupts the pancreatic functions of producing digestive enzymes and hormones.
• Alcohol causes blockage of the pancreatic ducts, preventing digestive enzymes from reaching the small intestine. This results in inflammation of the pancreatic tissues, resulting in a condition known as acute pancreatitis, accompanied by severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. The subsequent stage is chronic pancreatitis, resulting due to prolonged inflammation, producing scars that permanently damage the pancreas. Common symptoms of this condition include abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice. Furthermore, chronic pancreatitis can lead to other severe complications such as diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
• Pancreatitis damages the pancreas, affecting its insulin production capability, thus increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Alcohol induces direct toxicity to the pancreatic cells, causing their death and damage to the pancreas.
• Prolonged consumption of excessive alcohol multiplies the risk of pancreatic cancer, a fatal, life-threatening condition.

Endocrine Health

Type 2 diabetes is a major endocrine health issue caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Other problems include conditions affecting the thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary glands.

• The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating the blood sugar levels. Alcohol can impair the body’s ability to use insulin effectively, causing a condition known as insulin resistance. Additionally, alcohol can damage those pancreatic cells that are responsible for insulin production, contributing to insulin resistance. When the body cannot use insulin, blood sugar levels rise, causing type 2 diabetes.
• Alcohol is high in calories that contribute to weight gain and obesity. These are major risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
• Excessive alcohol consumption increases the genetic risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Alcohol interference over the thyroid gland may reduce thyroid hormone production, causing the condition known as hypothyroidism.
• Sometimes, excessive alcohol may activate the thyroid gland to overproduce thyroid hormone, resulting in a condition called hyperthyroidism.
• The adrenal glands produce important hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Alcohol may adversely affect these glands, causing adrenal insufficiency or adrenal hyperplasia.
• The pituitary gland produces hormones that regulate other endocrine glands. These hormones include the growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and prolactin. Alcohol may adversely affect the pituitary gland, causing various hormonal imbalances.

Reproductive Health

Excessive alcohol consumption can negatively impact fertility in both men and women.

• In men, alcohol consumption may reduce sperm quality by decreasing sperm count, lowering sperm motility, and impairing the shape and structure of sperm (sperm morphology). Furthermore, alcohol causes erectile dysfunction and hormonal imbalances, leading to insufficient testosterone production and sperm development.
• In women, alcohol causes irregular menstruation and hormonal imbalances, causing ovulation and pregnancy difficulties. Women who consume alcohol during pregnancy are prone to an increased risk of miscarriage and the possibility of fetal disorders known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). These disorders contribute to a range of congenital disabilities that impair a child’s physical, intellectual, and behavioral development.

Oral Health

Alcohol has many detrimental effects on oral health, including dehydration, acid erosion, and high sugar content that fosters bacterial growth and tooth decay. Here are some adverse effects of alcohol on oral health:

• Alcohol has dehydration capabilities that reduce saliva production, resulting in a dry mouth conducive to bacterial growth and tooth decay.
• Acidic alcoholic beverages like wine and cider can erode tooth enamel, making it vulnerable to decay.
• Many alcoholic beverages contain added sugars, contributing to bacterial infection and tooth decay.
• Excessive alcohol consumption disrupts regular dietary habits, resulting in the consumption of unhealthy diets like processed foods and sugary drinks, causing oral health issues.
• Alcohol can impact the immune system, weakening the fight against harmful bacteria and viruses, leading to gum diseases.
• Alcohol impairs coordination and judgment, increasing the probability of falls and accidents and causing injuries to teeth or gums.
• Alcohol is a significant risk factor for oral cancers affecting the mouth, tongue, and throat.

Musculoskeletal Health

Alcohol adversely affects bone and muscle health in many ways. It interferes with the absorption of essential nutrients like vitamin D and minerals like calcium, which are crucial for bone and muscle health. Furthermore, excessive alcohol consumption reduces testosterone levels, a hormone that plays a vital role in bone health and density. Here are the different ways by which alcohol impacts musculoskeletal health:

• Drinking too much alcohol for a long time can increase the risk of osteoporosis, a disease that makes bones fragile and easily breakable. This is due to alcohol’s interference with vitamin D absorption and affecting the reduction of testosterone levels, both of which are needed for bone health.
• Excessive alcohol consumption impairs the body’s ability to absorb nutrients like protein and calcium, essential for bone health.
• Chronic inflammation caused by alcohol consumption can contribute to bone loss, leading to a higher risk of fractures.
• Alcohol affects balance and coordination, increasing the risk of falls and leading to bone fractures.
• Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, including protein, which is crucial for muscle health and repair, leading to muscle weakness and fatigue.
• As a diuretic, alcohol causes fluid loss from the body, causing dehydration, leading to muscle weakness and fatigue.
• Alcohol disrupts the hormonal balance that regulates muscle growth.
• Excessive alcohol damages the nerves that control muscles, leading to muscle weakness and loss of coordination.

Respiratory Health

Alcohol has a severe negative impact on respiratory health, leading to various lung-related issues. Most of these issues affect normal breathing, oxygen intake, and immunity. Here are some common respiratory problems due to alcohol consumption:

• Alcohol weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of respiratory diseases like pneumonia.
• Very high alcohol consumption damages the lungs, affecting their capacity for respiration, leading to a chronic condition known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Alcohol, when compared with smoking, becomes a major risk factor for lung cancer.
• Alcohol can trigger asthma in some people.

Digestive Health

The digestive system includes many vital organs, including the stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas. Excessive alcohol consumption negatively affects the health of these organs as well as the overall digestive process. Here are some conditions due to alcohol consumption:

• Alcohol irritates the delicate lining of the stomach due to many factors. These factors include the acidic nature of many drinks, such as wine and cider, the inflammatory properties of alcohol affecting the stomach lining, stomach acid production, and damage caused to the stomach’s protective mucus layer. As a result of this irritation, a condition known as gastritis happens, accompanied by inflammation and pain.
• The acidity of alcohol increases the risk of peptic ulcers caused by the formation of sores in the stomach linings.
• Pancreatitis, a chronic condition due to alcohol, can interfere with the digestion process.
• Liver damage caused by alcohol causes difficulty in digestion and absorption of nutrients.
• Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb and process nutrients, leading to malnutrition.
• Alcohol can negatively affect bowel movements, causing diarrhea and constipation.

Renal Health

Alcohol has a profound negative impact on the kidneys, affecting whole-body health and well-being. Since kidneys are vital organs supporting waste disposal and fluid balance regulation, any damage or adverse condition can be life-threatening. Here are some severe renal health conditions caused by excessive alcohol usage:

• Since alcohol is a diuretic responsible for bodily fluid loss, the resulting dehydration can increase the concentration of minerals and salts in the urine. This condition can cause the formation of kidney stones accompanied by pain and even urine blockage.
• If the dehydration exceeds certain levels, it can trigger a chronic and life-threatening condition known as acute kidney injury, by which the kidneys will stop functioning abruptly.
• Chronic dehydration leads to chronic kidney disease, a progressive condition resulting in kidney failure.
• Alcohol can cause inflammation in the kidneys, damaging the kidney tissues.
• High blood pressure caused by excessive alcohol intake strains the kidneys, leading to several serious conditions, including damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys, formation of kidney stones, and chronic kidney disease.
• Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of gout, leading to the formation of kidney stones. The causes of gout include buildup of uric acid in the blood, dehydration, and inflammation, all leading to the risk of formation of kidney stones.

It has to be noted that the above conditions are triggered not only by alcohol consumption but also by dehydration caused by other factors like lack of sufficient fluid intake and fluid loss due to excessive sweating or vomiting. Moreover, alcohol-related kidney disorders are more likely to happen in individuals who already have underlying kidney problems.

Ophthalmic Health

A prolonged period of excessive alcohol consumption invites eye and vision complications that may lead to partial or complete vision loss. Below are some conditions that affect eye health:

• The body’s dehydration due to alcohol reduces saliva production, leading to dry eyes and making them susceptible to irritations and infections.
• Alcohol causes temporary blurring or double vision.
• The weakening of the immune system due to alcohol makes the eyes susceptible to infections.
• Excessive alcohol consumption may increase the risk of glaucoma, causing damage to the optic nerve.
• Alcohol can trigger a condition known as nystagmus, which involves involuntary movement of the eyes.
• Another critical condition induced by alcohol is damage to the optic nerve, causing visual field defects like blind spots and tunnel vision.

Mental Health

Excessive alcohol consumption negatively affects mental health, paving the way for many disorders that severely impact the individual’s mind power, decision-making skills, cognitive functions, social interaction skills, and productivity. Here are some disorders and conditions that alcohol can induce:

• Alcohol affects the brain’s chemical reactions to malfunction, causing elevated depression levels. This results in mood changes, feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in life, and occasionally suicidal and self-harm thoughts.
• Alcohol induces anxiety-related disorders like generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks that may interfere with everyday life.
• Moderate to excessive alcohol consumption may cause psychosis, resulting in hallucinations and delusions.
• Alcohol affects the critical areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum, thus impairing memory, learning, and problem-solving abilities.
• Alcohol addiction impacts social reputation and an individual’s self-confidence and esteem, resulting in social isolation.
• Alcohol creates unrealistic and bipolar episodes of emotions, leading to emotional instabilities. This, coupled with tampered esteem, contributes to impaired relationships.

Sleep Health

One of the severe impacts of alcohol on health is on sleep, disrupting standard sleep patterns. Lack of enough sleep and degraded sleep quality lead to secondary issues related to memory, concentration, focus, coordination, mood swings, and decreased productivity. Below are some conditions affecting sleep health due to alcohol abuse:

• Alcohol acts as a stimulant, causing wakefulness and making it harder to sleep, leading to insomnia.
• Alcohol interferes with REM sleep, the sleep phase during which the brain recuperates for memory consolidation and emotional stabilization.
• As the consumed alcohol gets metabolized, it acts as a central nervous system depressant, fragmenting sleep and disturbing normal sleep rhythm.
• Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of sleep apnea, a condition by which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. This condition leads to various issues, including daytime fatigue and concentration problems.

Strategies for Quitting Alcohol

The Necessity of Quitting Alcohol

The extreme adverse impact of excessive alcohol consumption severely damages one’s physical, mental, and emotional health, affecting nearly all organs and mental well-being, leading to permanent debilitations and premature deaths. Beyond the impact on health, alcohol ruins personal resilience, endurance, esteem, intellectuality, quality of life, financial security, and social reputation, leading to a life of utter desolation. So, it is indeed an absolute necessity to overcome alcohol addiction to halt further damage, improve health conditions, recover from personal, financial, and social burdens, and increase longevity. Due to the high risk of relapse after quitting drinking, a more strategic approach is needed for alcohol cessation. Below are some strategies that must be tailored for effective alcohol addiction recovery.

1. Seek Professional Support

Alcohol consumption, due to its addictive nature, typically leads to dependence and long-term use. Overcoming its addiction requires more than just personal determination and necessitates support from family, friends, relatives, and, most importantly, healthcare professionals. Personalized recovery plans are to be devised by doctors, therapists, and addiction specialists to facilitate gradual reduction. Such scientifically formulated plans may include counseling, medication, or other therapies to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

2. Behavioral Therapy and Counseling

The primary aim of behavioral therapy and counseling is to enable individuals to identify the patterns and triggers that lead them to drink. The treatment helps them use their determination and willpower to change unhealthy patterns into positive and healthy habits. Moreover, the therapy programs train the individuals to develop coping mechanisms to control the urge to drink and overcome withdrawal symptoms. Additionally, the therapy helps people improve their resilience, enhance their motivation to overcome impairments and cultivate healthy and productive habits.

3. Support Groups

Alcohol addiction, like other destructive addictions, is exacerbated by its addictive nature, making it difficult for individuals to quit and stay committed to sobriety. Overcoming withdrawal symptoms and preventing relapse requires significant support. Community and social support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), play a crucial role in providing peer support, accountability, and shared experiences, motivating and empowering individuals to stay steadfast in their recovery journey. 

4. Medications for Alcohol Dependence

Alcohol cravings and withdrawal symptoms create a stiff resistance in the pathway of quitting. Apart from self-determination, therapy counseling, and community support, individuals need adequate medical support through medications to overcome all the challenges. Doctors may prescribe medicines like Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Disulfiram to assist in the quitting process and to retain abstinence. These medications should be combined with therapies and lifestyle changes for positive and healthy outcomes.

5. Developing Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Overcoming any unhealthy addictions requires the adoption of healthy habits for maintaining long-term sobriety. Such habits should be sufficient to supply the physical, mental, and emotional energies needed for enhanced well-being, enabling individuals to keep themselves from unhealthy habits. Regular physical activities, mindfulness and relaxation practices like meditation and yoga, spiritual practices like prayer, social and community service, hobbies, etc., have proved effective in boosting mood, alleviating stress, improving physical health, and fostering social and emotional health. These activities, if practiced regularly and consistently, can counteract the adverse effects of alcohol and cultivate exceptional well-being.    

6. Avoiding Triggers and High-Risk Situations

While healthy lifestyle habits are crucial for overcoming internal temptations and health-related triggers like alcohol cravings and withdrawal symptoms, special attention and vigilance are needed to avoid or mitigate external temptations, triggers, and persuasions. One should be proactive enough to identify and limit situations like social events where alcohol is served and keep oneself away from friends, relatives, or social circles where alcohol consumption is prevalent. Equally important are finding new social activities that do not involve alcohol and cultivating a structured routine that supports healthy habits.

7. Establishing a Strong Support System

An individual who is progressing through quitting alcohol will be passing through a myriad of internal and external challenges. Such persons need a robust and supportive network of family, friends, and healthcare professionals, offering encouragement, solutions, and emotional support throughout the recovery journey, enhancing the likelihood of long-term success.  

Final Thoughts

Alcohol consumption, even low or moderate, has a higher chance of becoming an addiction, causing excessive intake. Alcohol affects nearly all organs of the body, leading to suffering, decreased lifespan, impaired life status, and financial setbacks. So, quitting addictions and abuse and maintaining abstinence throughout life are essential for recovery, total health, and well-being.

Quitting alcohol is a challenging but achievable goal with the proper support and strategies in place. Combining self-determination, courage, professional help, therapy, medication, and healthy lifestyle changes can lead to a healthier, alcohol-free life rich in happiness, prosperity, and satisfaction.