In General, this happens when you drink alcohol
The alcohol in your drink is absorbed into your body through the stomach and small intestines. Food slows down the rate of absorption - that's why alcohol affects you more quickly when taken on an empty stomach.
Alcohol travels through the intestines to the liver and then on to your heart, brain, muscles and other tissues. This happens very quickly - within a few minutes. Usually, though not always, this has a pleasant effect.
Your body can't store alcohol, so it breaks it down - your liver’s job. The liver firstly changes alcohol into acetaldehyde (this is toxic), then into acetate (harmless), which is then broken down into carbon dioxide and water. About 90% - 95% of alcohol consumed is broken down by the liver, 5% - 10% is excreted through urine, breath and sweat.
Your body's ability to process alcohol depends on your age, weight and sex. Your body breaks down alcohol at a rate of roughly one drink per hour.
Heart
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death throughout the Western world, accounting for more than 30% of all deaths. Regular moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke mainly in men aged over 40 years and in postmenopausal women, when the risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke significantly increase.
Drinking alcohol is not recommended if you have uncontrolled, high blood pressure. If someone has an existing heart condition, alcohol can generally be drunk in moderation, but only if alcohol use does not affect the medication. A doctor’s advice should be sought.
Drinking to excess or binge drinking puts considerable strain on the heart and increases your risk of heart attack, haemorrhagic stroke and irregular heart beat.
It is thought that alcohol itself accounts for 75% of the cardio-protective effects of alcoholic beverages. It favourably alters the balance of fats or lipids in the blood, by stimulating the liver to produce the ‘good’ high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). HDL removes the ‘bad’ low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) from arteries and veins for disposal via the bile, which is referred to as reverse cholesterol transport.
Alcohol decreases the clotting together or ‘stickiness’ of red blood cells, which if untreated could form a clot to block blood flow in an artery or vein to cause a heart attack or stroke.
Recent research suggests that one to two drinks per day for men and one for women does not exacerbate a heart condition. Exceeding this benchmark can significantly increase blood pressure, which would, therefore, exacerbate a heart condition.
Waist
Dry wines, ciders, pure spirits and beers are fat free and almost sugar free, but contain calories.
A standard ½ litre of beer has approximately 130 calories, as does a 150ml glass of dry wine, so the calories can mount up - alcohol can also make you feel hungry. Drinking alcohol stimulates your appetite while reducing your self-control, so you're more likely to binge eat if you binge drink. Choose a diet mixer for spirits and watch out for cocktails if you’re watching your weight. Fortified or dessert wines and liqueurs are much more calorific and sugar rich per serving, too.
It is important to include drinking alcohol only as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle, that is consuming plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and exercising of course.
For heavy alcohol drinkers, up to 50% of calories consumed each day may be from alcohol, as alcohol is often drunk in preference to eating meals, leading to long term health risks.
Gut
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach walls and the intestines as a person drinks. The bloodstream carries the alcohol to the liver, which breaks down the alcohol... with any excess reaching the brain and other organs….a loss of inhibitions is sometimes one of the first effects. As more alcohol is consumed the BAC rises. However the exact time that the body takes to absorb alcohol varies from one person to another.
Excessive alcohol irritates the stomach, so it can lead to nausea, cramps, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
Eating something before or while drinking slows down the absorption of alcohol into the blood.
Liver
The liver breaks down most of the alcohol a person drinks. (The rest leaves the body in breath, urine and sweat.) The liver contains enzymes that break down alcohol to water and carbon dioxide which are harmless to the body.
However, your liver can only break down about one alcoholic drink an hour in an average adult, the rest circulates in your blood, brain and organs. The alcohol will remain circulating until it has all been broken down by the liver . If the body can't cope with all the alcohol in its system, the person can pass out, or in extreme cases fall into an alcoholic coma (which can be fatal).
Long-term drinking kills off liver cells, leading to a disease called 'cirrhosis'. It's a 'silent' disease - symptoms may not be noticeable until the disease is advanced. Long-term excessive drinking can also lead to liver cancer or other cancers.
The liver contains enzymes that break down alcohol to water and carbon dioxide which are harmless to the body. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to three types of liver disease:
∑ Fatty Liver – a build up of fat. This can occur after a single session of heavy drinking or as a result of regular drinking over the recommended drinking guidelines. It reverses very quickly when alcohol is withdrawn and leaves no permanent damage. However if regular heavy drinking continues then about 15 – 20% of individuals will go on to develop more serious liver damage in the form of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
∑ Alcoholic hepatitis – this is an inflammation of the liver that can range from mild to severe. Individuals with mild to moderate alcoholic hepatitis may be unaware that they have liver damage while individuals with severe alcoholic hepatitis may develop liver failure. Alcoholic hepatitis may reverse in many individuals if they stop drinking immediately.
∑ Alcoholic cirrhosis - this results from a process where normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, eventually leading to the liver’s inability to function properly. Individuals with alcohol-related cirrhosis may not have any symptoms or signs or else they may develop several complications such as jaundice, fluid retention or serious bleeding from the oesophagus (gullet). Although alcoholic cirrhosis is not reversible, stopping alcohol can make a significant difference to survival.
Fertility
Drinking alcohol can affect performance in the bedroom because the drinker's not fully in control of their body and heavy drinking can cause temporary impotence.
Alcohol affects judgement too, so couples may have unsafe sex, increasing the risk of sexually transmitted disease or a long term commitment your weren’t planning for!
Heavy drinking may lower testosterone levels in men and reduce the quality and quantity of sperm. It is recommended therefore that men should limit their alcohol intake to no more than one or two drinks a day if a couple are trying for a baby.
Head/brain
After a few drinks, it can be easy for someone to lose their head. They may feel more relaxed, emotional and uninhibited, but they also lose control.
Their judgement is affected too. They might make a fool of themselves, get into trouble, cause an accident or do something they regret later.