Undeniably, drinking alcohol makes you feel relaxed, confident, happy, and sociable. Because of these short-term pleasures alcohol drinking gives you, it’s easier to forget the negative effects of it on your body, especially when you’re still in the prime of your health.

However, as time goes by, certain symptoms come up. And most often than not, it’s too late to regain your vital health.

Before things start to crumble in your life, think twice before reaching out for that bottle of alcohol.

5 Ways How Exactly Alcohol Ruins Your Health:

1. Alcohol increases the risk of cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, the amount of alcohol consumed over time increases the risk of cancer.

Alcohol is found to be the cause of cancers of the Mouth, Throat (pharynx), Voice box (larynx), Esophagus, Liver, Colon and Rectum, Breast, and Pancreas.

Alcohol was classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization as a Group 1 carcinogen.

The National Toxicology of the US Department of Health and Human Services reported that alcoholic beverage consumption is a known human carcinogen. Moreover, alcohol is found to cause 4% of cancers in the US and the UK.

2. Alcohol interferes with the absorption of nutrients in the body.

Because alcohol interferes with the functions of the pancreas and liver, the body’s ability to absorb calcium and vitamin D are affected as well. These two are essential to building and maintaining strong bones.

The University of Maryland Medical Center states that alcoholism can lead to malnutrition because alcohol suppresses the appetite. As a result, there would be inadequate intake and absorption of food and nutrients.

Even if heavy drinkers manage to consume high levels of nutrient-rich food, they’re still unable to enjoy the full benefit of those nutrients.

3. Alcohol affects B-12 absorption.

Even if done in moderation, drinking alcohol still poses risk to your health because it affects your body’s ability to absorb vitamin B-12.

The deficiency of vitamin B-12 may lead to heart attack, stroke, megaloblastic anemia, fatigue, shortness of breath, tingling and numbness in the extremities, headache, dementia, disorientation, loss of concentration and memory, and even death.

4. Alcohol damages the liver, the digestive system, the brain and the nervous system.

Drinking alcohol causes liver cirrhosis, a severe scarring and disruption of the normal structure of the liver. About 10 to 20% of heavy drinkers are found to suffer from this degenerative disease.

The National Institue of Health said that liver cirrhosis ranked 12 among the leading cause of death by disease.

Alcohol causes irritation or inflammation in the inner lining of the stomach, affects the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder, and increases the stomach’s ability to produce acid.

All these can lead to abdominal discomfort, stomachaches, heartburn, and acid reflux.

The damage alcohol causes to the brain are blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory, and blackouts.

Middle-aged men who drink 2.5 or more alcoholic beverage a day are more prone to rapid mental losses over a decade than moderate drinkers.

5. Alcohol is a depressant.

While drinkers believe that alcohol calms their nerves, soothes their anxiety, and relieves them of stress, the truth is, alcohol makes them more anxious after the alcohol wears off.

Alcohol is a depressant that changes the levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, which worsens the feelings of anxiety.

If you’re a consumer of alcohol, it’s better to know your limits. But then at the end of the day, there’s only one truth: Alcohol is never friendly with your body.

Inspired By: https://consciouslifenews.com/8-reasons-stop-drinking-alcohol-immediately/11116637/;