• A few words about alcohol
• What are the consequences of alcohol abuse?
• What other effects can chronic alcohol abuse have?
• What actually is a hangover and how does the ethanol metabolism work in the body?
• alcohol, exercise and weight loss
• summary
• bibliography

It's no big secret that drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health. It is true that alcohol itself is simply poison for our bodies. However, it is its misuse that can have negative effects on our system and well-being. Therefore, we will try to describe both the short-term and the far-reaching ones. We also answer what exactly the condition popularly known as a hangover is and debunk some myths about alcohol. We invite you to fruitful reading.

A few words about alcohol

From a chemical point of view, there are many types of individual alcohols. They differ in physico-chemical properties and are used in many branches of industry, medicine and the food industry. Most often, however, this term means ethanol. It is the most common and that is what we mean when we use the word alcohol. It's right next to the toxic methanol, an alcohol with a relatively simple chemical structure. It belongs to the organic compounds and we obtain it through alcoholic fermentation. Beet and sugar cane, wheat, rye, barley, fruit, corn and practically all sugary products can be used as a substrate. It should come as no surprise that we currently boast a wide range of alcoholic beverages. From beer to wine to vodka and whiskey. Let's focus on ethanol itself and its properties. This clear liquid with a pungent taste and odor is flammable. In addition to the food industry, it has also found application in medicine, where the maceration process is possible with its help. It consists in obtaining various herbal extracts by introducing therapeutic substances into ethanol. It is also used as a preservative, but also bactericidal and bacteriostatic. We find it in many disinfectants, but also in all sorts of medicines or even cough syrup. Its properties have also proven desirable in industry, where it acts as a solvent, is a component of paints, or is actively involved in the manufacture of various building materials.

What are the consequences of alcohol abuse?

Ethanol can be classified as a psychoactive substance, more specifically a tranquilizer. According to statistics, it is the most widespread and therefore the most frequently chosen intoxicant. However, its effect on the body depends primarily on the dose, our psychophysical state and other individual factors. The lethal dose ranges from 150 to 250 grams of pure ethanol, but it's worth noting that these amounts can vary widely. In any case, we do not recommend that you experiment with the amount of alcohol consumed, as it can end tragically. Ethanol has a tremendous impact on the entire body, but it has a particularly strong impact on the functioning of the central nervous system. After all, it disrupts the communication channels in the brain itself, has a huge impact on our mood, well-being, sometimes makes us feel euphoric, relaxes and significantly speeds up the heartbeat. Let us add that here we are only talking about the effects of consuming a small amount of it. These, of course, are not as dangerous to our health as those that result from consuming larger amounts of it. Consuming large amounts of ethanol over a long period of time is particularly dangerous. Regularity is the key here. In this case, our body actually does not have time to regenerate and is constantly busy removing harmful metabolic products that appear in the body after eating.

What other effects can chronic alcohol abuse have?

Ethanol is absorbed in the digestive tract after a relatively short time. This happens after about 10 minutes, but after 15 - up to 50% of the alcohol consumed is absorbed. Large doses taken in a short period of time can lead to speech disorders, problems concentrating, blurred vision or even unconsciousness. The organ that is the first bulwark of defense against its harmful effects is the liver. This makes them most vulnerable to wide-ranging complications. The most common are undoubtedly hepatitis, its steatosis and fibrosis, and even cirrhosis of this organ can occur. Noteworthy is the fact that ethanol can act on the pancreas in a specific way. It induces the production of many toxic substances that affect our cardiovascular system, for example. They can also lead to edema of blood vessels, cardiac arrhythmias, their various diseases, but also significantly increase blood pressure. To all this, of course, there is also the sociological and social aspect. Excessive ethanol consumption, almost always long-term, can lead to addiction. Such a person is thus to a certain extent excluded from social life. The only thing that matters is satisfying the craving—reaching for another helping. Very often their relatives also suffer and often try to help where they can. In addition, all addictions have the fact that they can trigger aggressive behavior and other strong nervous disorders. This makes any intervention to help such a person difficult. Very often, a man who had a good job, a loving family, a lot of different interests and hobbies, gradually gives them up in favor of drinking alcohol. Such a scenario is of course a process that can sometimes take years, but it does not only have health, but also sociological and social consequences.

What actually is a hangover and how does the ethanol metabolism work in the body?

Only a small percentage of the ethanol ingested is excreted in the urine. The remainder is almost entirely metabolized in the liver. Ethanol itself leads to many functional disturbances of practically the entire body, and the intensity of such disturbances, of course, depends on the amount of substance consumed. Since ethanol is toxic to us, the whole body, especially the liver, strives to neutralize it. Many processes and transformations produce acetaldehyde, which is the basic chemical compound in the transformation of this alcohol. This aldehyde then enters the bloodstream to return with the blood to the place of production - the liver. Unfortunately, this compound is still harmful to the body. Therefore, it undergoes further chemical transformations leading to the formation of acetic acid and then turning into carbon dioxide and water. It is in this form that ethanol is eventually excreted. This is obviously related to the fact that these two substances are practically non-toxic to the body. It is worth noting that this process is not that fast. It is believed that it takes almost an hour to decompose about 20 milliliters of pure ethanol. This means that half a liter of the popular vodka is excreted in at least 24 hours. It's really long. In addition, our liver has a limited ability to metabolize alcohol, so if there is an excess, it ends up in the blood, which is tantamount to alcohol poisoning. It circulates in the body until it can be metabolized by the liver. Let us add that if we continue to take doses of alcohol at this point, we will only complicate and prolong this process. It was discovered that acetaldehyde and the later formed acetic acid are responsible for the symptoms of a hangover. Their high concentration in the blood is one of the direct causes of malaise, but interestingly not the only one. The type of alcohol consumed is very important, but the more chemical compounds there are after ethanol itself, the more we will feel such a condition. For example, just looking at the amount of pure ethanol in the drink, theoretically, pure vodka causes a much less severe hangover than, say, champagne or sweet wine. In addition, the intensity of this state is influenced by many other chemical compounds. For example, lactic acid, which can over-acidify the body and thus enhances this effect. Keeping the body hydrated also has a major impact, which is very small when excessive amounts of ethanol are consumed. Because alcohol impairs the function of the kidneys, which means that we excrete more water. Also, the kidneys have trouble with glomerular filtration, so not only does it dehydrate quickly, but it also leaks substances into the urine that we wouldn't normally see there. We are talking about vitamins, minerals, glucose or proteins.

alcohol, exercise and weight loss

Alcohol and exercise and losing weight definitely don't go together. After all, it can lead to overweight and obesity, but it can also have a negative impact on physical condition or muscle strength - and thus affect athletic results. There are 7 kilocalories in just one gram of pure ethanol. It's almost as much as in 1 gram of fat and almost twice as much as in the same amount of protein and carbohydrate. Also note that these are empty calories. This term means that it is energy that is in no way useful for the body, but can be deposited, for example, in the form of abdominal fat. Interestingly, the body tends to metabolize alcohol first, causing the metabolism of other energy compounds to drop drastically. This further increases the effect of storing energy in the form of fat tissue. Let's add that many alcoholic beverages do not only contain ethanol. A very common addition to all types of spirits is simply sugar. They have added nutritional value, but may help slow down ethanol metabolism and increase the effects of the popular hangover. Let's add to all this snacks that are usually eaten as a supplement, and as a result we get a powerful energy charge, which can not only slow down weight loss, but even lead to its increase. In fact, the same factors can negate the effects of different workouts. Ethanol also affects the rate of muscle recovery and the overall body post-workout. Therefore, it doesn't make them as effective and can significantly impair muscle mass growth. Proper hydration of the body is an essential element during prolonged exercise, unlike alcohol which has a dehydrating effect. In addition, there is the effect on the nervous system and psychological aspects. After consumption, it is much easier to give up training goals, as well as to be tempted by unhealthy snacks, sweets and so on. In addition, excessive ethanol consumption certainly has a negative effect on sleep quality. That alcohol makes it easier to fall asleep and improves its quality is a myth. It is true that the relaxing effects can make it easier and faster to fall asleep, but the quality of this rest leaves a lot to be desired. All these factors make it a bad idea not only when losing weight or playing various sports, but also in everyday life.

summary

Alcohol, more precisely ethanol, is by far the most popular luxury food in the world. It has a tremendous impact on our bodies, both physically and psychologically. Consuming it in small amounts from time to time will certainly not harm our health. The problem, however, is his excessive consumption, and especially if he does it very regularly. This will certainly have a strong impact on our lives – in a negative way, of course. We will surely feel it, and in the long run it can lead to various diseases, often very dangerous to health and life. Therefore, it is not worth using too much ethanol, which is what we and you wish.

bibliography

1. Ethanol (No. 46139) - product safety data sheet Sigma-Aldrich ( Merck KGaA ) on the territory of Poland. [accessed on 06/28/2019]
2. Ferreira, Mt. de Mello, S. Pompeia, ML. by Souza-Formigoni. Effects of taking energy drinks on alcohol intoxication . "Alcohol Klin Erw. Ed. 30(4), pp. 598-605, 2006. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00070.x. PMID: 16573577.
3. Association of habitual alcohol consumption with risk of cardiovascular disease, JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(3):e223849. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.3849
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8116538
5. Rachdaoui N., Sarkar DK: Effects of alcohol on the endocrine system. Endokrinol Metab Klin Nord on September 2013; 42(3): 593-615.
6. Balhara YPS, Deb KS: Influence of alcohol use on shield function . Indian J Endocrinol Metab . 2013 Juli- August ; 17(4): 580–587.