Like all substances toxic to the human body, alcohol is a medicine in small doses. Only the useful amount of ethyl alcohol is determined not by the person himself, but by his doctor. There are many myths about the harmlessness of a glass of red wine before dinner or vodka with pepper when you have a cold. The question of whether alcohol is harmful to humans was answered long ago by experts. Ethyl alcohol is a powerful poison that destroys brain and liver cells. How quickly intoxication becomes depends on the person’s health and the amount of alcohol consumed.

Why alcohol is harmful

At an event where there is a large assortment of alcoholic drinks, a light drinker always chooses the lesser evil. True, it is not entirely clear what he is guided by - pure ethanol is contained in each of them. So what is the criterion for assessing the harm that ethyl alcohol causes to the human body?

Regular consumption of alcohol, even in small quantities, disrupts the functional activity of the liver, intestines, and stomach. This also contributes to the disorder of the central nervous system and provokes neurological changes. If the doses of alcoholic beverages increase, then dangerous chronic intoxication develops. In this state, a person gradually degrades, loses professional and everyday skills, becomes stupid and becomes fixated on himself.

It doesn’t matter whether a person drank two glasses of wine or a glass of vodka, the content of pure ethyl alcohol in them is the same. The damage caused to the liver and brain is also equal.

Trying to minimize the consequences of drinking alcohol, a person focuses on its composition. It takes into account all components, counts calories and nutrients. It does not provide for only one thing - the concentration of 96% ethanol. A person who cares about his health will always give preference to dry red wine or dark thick beer, because there are many natural ingredients. This is a most dangerous misconception, since the benefits of organic compounds in no way compensate for the harm of ethyl alcohol. Another way to boost your immunity is to take vitamin complexes with microelements.

By giving preference to one type of alcohol or another, a person for some reason decides that one of them is healthier than the other, and this is nonsense. Vodka infused with medicinal roots and medicinal herbs does not become more beneficial than pure 40% vodka. But the tricks of manufacturers and the desire of consumers to be deceived are doing their job: hop cones, birch buds and flower honey attract buyers.

Alcohol, which contains added dyes, flavors, and stabilizers, is especially harmful to the body. In addition to ethyl alcohol poisoning, a person may develop an allergic reaction and malfunction of the pancreas and intestines.

Some manufacturers use a trick and artificially increase the percentage of ethanol. Dry wine, champagne, dark and light beer are made from natural raw materials according to certain standards. To significantly save money, process developers add pure ethyl alcohol to drinks. Such an explosive mixture causes enormous harm to the cells of the liver and brain.

Toxic effects of alcohol

Some people sincerely believe that alcohol in small doses will not cause significant harm to a person and is easily processed by the liver in a short time. WHO has determined the average amount of ethyl alcohol that will cause minor damage to the body. For men, this figure is 40 g of ethanol per day, and for women – 30 g. These values ​​should be taken into account when drinking alcohol, otherwise even a slight excess of the norm will not remain without health consequences.

Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages in doses not exceeding the norm still leads to addiction. Narcologists have determined the approximate time for addiction to form – 6 months from the start of taking the first portion of alcohol.

The harm from drinking small doses of alcohol increases if a person has the following pathologies:

• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
• low or high blood pressure;
• endocrine disorders;
• neurological disorders;
• diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract, liver.

If a person has at least one disorder in the functioning of all vital systems, then a complete metabolism of alcohol will not occur. Cardiovascular diseases, chronic renal or liver failure, and mental pathologies are the main contraindications for taking ethanol in any quantity.

When a person is sure that he has correctly calculated the dose for himself that will not harm his body, the number of doses should be reduced. In addition to the formation of alcohol dependence, regular consumption of ethanol provokes the accumulation of the toxic compound acetaldehyde in tissues. Even a light drinker is at risk of chronic intoxication.

Once in the gastrointestinal tract, alcohol is quickly absorbed by its mucous membrane and penetrates the bloodstream, and then into the liver. The biological filter neutralizes all substances harmful to the body, including ethyl alcohol. Liver enzymes react with ethanol, the product of which is acetaldehyde, which can cause harm to all internal organs. Hepatocytes prevent intoxication by converting the compound into acetic acid.

In addition to metabolizing alcohol on a daily basis, the liver has a lot of work to do to break down substances produced in the body. Therefore, such a load will sooner or later lead to a decrease in the activity of the biological filter - harmful compounds will remain in cells and tissues. To minimize the harm from drinking ethanol, you need to drink vodka, beer or wine intermittently.

Negative effects of alcohol on the human body

Ethanol in any quantity has a negative effect on the reproductive system. Before planning a pregnancy, doctors recommend that future parents completely abstain from alcoholic beverages for 2-3 months. Alcohol can change a person’s hormonal levels:

1. A man may experience female-type obesity: the hips become rounded, the mammary glands enlarge, and the hands and ankles become thinner. Hair stops growing on the pubic area and in the armpits, and acne appears. Sometimes a man is not able to perform full sexual intercourse.
2. In a woman’s body, the production of estrogens, female sex hormones, increases. This condition contributes to the disruption of the menstrual cycle, which leads to unsuccessful attempts to conceive a baby, as well as its gestation and birth.

Scientists have proven that ethanol is harmful to the development of healthy eggs and sperm. Regular consumption of alcohol, even in small doses, can lead to the birth of children with mental and physical disabilities.

Ethanol begins to exhibit its toxic effect already at the stage of entering the body. The mucous membrane of the stomach becomes inflamed and swollen, and with high concentrations of alcohol it can become ulcerated. Even a single dose of ethyl alcohol often causes erosive gastritis, a disease that requires long-term complex treatment.

Having penetrated the bloodstream, ethanol continues to cause harm, this time to red blood cells. Red cells have a unipolar charge, which allows them to move freely in the flow of biological fluid. Alcohol damages the membrane of red blood cells, which causes them to stick together. Large conglomerates are formed, which subsequently form into a clot - thrombus. It moves with difficulty in the bloodstream, and then completely clogs the capillary, preventing the movement of free red blood cells.

The main function of red blood cells is to transport molecular oxygen to tissues. Damage to red blood cells leads to oxygen starvation of the brain, and then death of its cells. A person under the influence of alcohol is happy and carefree, falls asleep quickly and soundly, and develops the usual state of intoxication. Sleep is the body's defense reaction against the damage caused by ethanol. The brain is acutely short of oxygen, so it simply “turns off.”

When asked whether vodka is harmful to the human body, most people will answer in the affirmative. Others will talk about the benefits of alcohol in small doses. Experts agree with this opinion, but only in the case of using medicinal tinctures - valerian, motherwort, peony, eleutherococcus, ginseng. These drugs are useful in small quantities, measured in tens of drops.

Alcohol tinctures have many contraindications for use. After consuming them, you should not drive, since the alcohol they contain, even in a minimal dose, reduces the reaction rate.

Almost all special events are not complete without strong alcoholic drinks, champagne, and beer. It can be difficult for a person to resist a glass of red wine or a glass of cognac. To minimize the harm from drinking alcohol, you need to follow some simple rules:

• do not exceed the daily dose calculated by doctors;
• choose high-quality drinks without dyes and flavoring additives, with low sugar content;
• Alcohol in larger doses, but consumed less frequently, causes less harm compared to small, but frequently consumed portions.

A particularly dangerous property of ethanol is its ability to cause addiction, which suggests its narcotic nature. Many excellent employees and exemplary family men have one hidden drawback - after work every day they relax with a bottle of beer or a glass of vodka. Despite their obvious dissimilarity with the homeless individuals who use isopropyl alcohol (“anti-freeze”), they have a common disadvantage - chronic alcoholism, which is so far successfully hidden. How to understand that an addiction is beginning to form:

1. A craving for alcoholic beverages appeared.
2. Loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed.
3. There is no gag reflex.
4. More alcohol is required to achieve the same euphoria.
5. There is no need for a reason to use it anymore.

A chronic alcoholic will never admit that he has a problem. This is the result of brain dysfunction, leading to loss of self-control and self-criticism. In such a situation, the support of relatives and loved ones is important. If you can’t reach a person, then specialists are powerless here.

Disputes about why alcohol is harmful and whether it is beneficial for the human body have been going on for a long time. Scientists are still conducting research to answer this question absolutely accurately. As a result of such tests, the benefits of drinking alcohol-containing drinks were identified.

By studying ethanol, it was possible to identify how alcohol is beneficial for the human body. Studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption increases levels of HDL, a high-density lipoprotein, as well as “good” cholesterol. Additional benefits of moderate drinking include increased insulin sensitivity and a reduced risk of blood clotting.

These changes tend to prevent the formation of small blood clots, which in turn can clog arteries. Thus, the chances of getting cardiovascular diseases are reduced.

Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages can add several years to life. And it doesn’t matter what kind of drink it is, the main thing is that it is of high quality. It turns out that no more than 2 glasses of wine a day can increase life expectancy by up to 18% in both men and women.

On the Mediterranean diet, drinking alcohol, mainly wine, as part of lunch or dinner can be quite beneficial. However, the rest of the day should be alcohol-free.

Carnegie Mellon University's psychology department recently found that while smokers were more susceptible to catching colds, moderate drinkers who didn't smoke experienced a reduction in cold incidence. Spanish researchers found that drinking 8-14 glasses of red wine per week can actually reduce the risk of developing a cold by as much as 60%, likely due to the antioxidant properties present in wine.

A study was conducted in which more than 365,000 people took part. It started in 1977. The Journal of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Treatment reported that moderate drinkers were 23% less likely to experience cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia.

Moderate amounts of alcohol can, in fact, make your brain cells more resilient. As a result, they are better able to cope with the underlying stresses that can often lead to dementia.

If you drink no more than 80 g of vodka or vodka, you can reduce the risk of gallstones by 1/3. Researchers from the University of East Anglia say this.

A Dutch study found that healthy adults who drank 1-2 glasses of wine a day reduced their chances of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who didn't drink at all. Thus, the question of whether alcohol in small doses is beneficial can be answered positively.

Composition of alcoholic beverages

Ethanol is a psychoactive substance. It negatively affects not only the nervous system, but also the entire body. Compared to other alcohols, ethanol has low toxicity. However, exceeding the dose suppresses brain function, reaction speed and coordination. An overdose of this substance can even cause death. This is the main reason why alcohol is harmful.

Alcohol-containing drinks may contain aldehydes, phenols and fusel oils. All these are poisons by which the quality of various alcoholic beverages is determined. Any low-quality drink can be very harmful. You need to carefully study the composition. Especially if you plan to use it daily. Aldehydes cause a fermentation reaction.

Food additives and colorings may be contained in the drink, but only if they are of organic origin:

• malt;
• hop;
• herbs;
• berries;
• fruits;
• spices.

They are necessary to give certain types of drinks a special taste, color and aroma.

If the drink is cheap, then most likely it contains harmful additives:

• sugar;
• artificial colors;
• essences.

They negatively affect the functioning of the heart, gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system.

Harm of ethyl alcohol

The harmful effects of alcohol on the body have long been studied. Alcohol consumption can cause both cirrhosis and hepatitis. Excessive daily consumption contributes to high blood pressure as well as damage to the heart muscle. Alcohol addiction often leads to osteoporosis, especially in young women. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, alcohol can cause cancer of the mouth, larynx, colon, esophagus, pharynx and breast. Alcohol can also cause insomnia.

Alcohol is known as a diuretic and dehydrator. This explains many of the symptoms of a hangover. This is also the cause of dull and dry skin. Blood vessels dilate, especially in the face, causing it to look red and swollen. Some people are used to having a hangover in the morning, but in fact this is harmful and will only make the situation worse. Drinking water in large quantities will easily eliminate the problem of dehydration and restore hydration to the body.

Most of the illogical and awkward moments that drinkers experience are due to overdrinking. Most accidents of all types occur after drinking a lot of alcohol.

Excessive use

There are many serious complications of drinking. Many heavy drinkers experience suicidal thoughts and suffer from mild to severe depression. Miscarriages, elevated levels of triglycerides in the blood, chronic pancreatitis, and poisoning are common with excessive drinking of alcohol. Mindless drinking of alcohol can easily develop a chronic form of alcoholism, which often leads to hyperglycemia, obesity and arthritis.

From all the research, it is obvious that the key to the question of the benefits and harms of alcohol is the “point of moderation.” Moderate drinkers can reap the benefits and avoid the negative effects that come with excessive drinking.

There are, however, other factors that also play a role in how alcohol will affect a person's body. And this is a way of life.

Some of the reasons that determine the body's reaction to ethanol directly depend on the general physical state of health, as well as the presence of bad habits in a person, his activity and nutrition. Therefore, it is impossible to say unequivocally how much alcohol is not harmful to health. Such decisions, as a rule, are individual in nature.

Medical studies in different parts of the world have proven the harm of alcohol on the human body. The consequences of alcohol abuse are widely covered in the media, but deaths from alcoholism continue to rise every year.

A frivolous attitude towards every glass you drink, a lack of culture of drinking alcohol and a low level of life values ​​over time leads to physical dependence, which puts alcohol-containing drinks on a level with hard drugs.

Today everyone knows perfectly well how harmful alcohol is, but for some reason they still continue to drink it in one quantity or another.
Why this happens is a separate conversation, but here I will tell you how alcohol affects our mental and physical health. I believe that the more articles like this, the more people will think about it and stop drinking or at least limit the amount of alcohol they drink. Because it’s one thing to simply know that drinking is harmful, it’s another thing to see it in all the ugly colors that paint the picture of the terrible consequences of drinking alcohol.
And it's really scary.

I consider the most terrible thing to be the consequences of the influence on the psyche of the drinker. For man degrades and turns into an animal, he is simply no longer a man, he has fallen several steps down the evolutionary ladder.

Alcohol is a poison for the body

The bitter truth is that alcohol is not a food product, as is commonly believed, but a narcotic poison.
Yes, yes, don't be surprised. It is a drug, and scientists have long recognized this.
It causes damage to almost all internal organs and the body as a whole.
If a person is healthy, then the destruction occurs gradually and depends on the amount of alcohol and the duration of the influence. Therefore, when we are young, it is easier for us to endure the next alcoholic feast, but if any organ is initially sick, alcohol will provoke it to worsen its functioning. Usually, if a person gets sick early, he cannot tolerate alcohol and he has to justify in drinking companies that he cannot drink, this is often a subject of ridicule. But if a person continues to use, the diseased organ sooner or later stops functioning altogether, which usually leads to death. Where it is thin, it breaks. All this once again proves that alcohol, as a strong poison, can only destroy the body and with good health this simply happens more slowly. But sooner or later, one or several organs at once become unusable, and the person turns into a disabled person. It’s just that for some it happens at 30 years old, for others at old age.

Absorption and destruction of alcohol in the body

Alcoholic drinks of any strength contain ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is easily absorbed in the digestive tract, quickly enters the bloodstream and spreads to all organs and systems. The process of ethanol absorption begins in the oral cavity and continues in the esophagus and stomach. However, most of it enters the bloodstream from the small intestine. When alcohol enters the digestive system, the body tries to reduce the dose of poison and reduce its concentration.
It is known that in the stomach, in response to the intake of ethanol, a large amount of hydrochloric acid is released to dilute the alcoholic drink. The main organ for dealing with ethanol, as with other toxic substances, is the liver. It synthesizes the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol into less toxic components. Taking a large dose of alcohol cannot be completely neutralized by liver cells, enters the general bloodstream and disrupts the functioning of the entire body.

The effect of alcohol on the body's functioning

Systematic intake of ethanol-containing drinks negatively affects the functioning of all organs and systems. First of all, the digestive tract, central nervous system, and gonads are affected.

Gastrointestinal disorders

The digestive organs are the first barrier to the entry of alcohol into the body. Increased secretion of gastric juice with a high concentration of hydrochloric acid when ethanol enters causes damage to the organ mucosa. As a result, erosions and ulcers form, and the risk of gastric bleeding increases. In the small intestine, ethanol causes atrophy of the ciliated epithelium, which disrupts the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. Pathology of the gastrointestinal tract develops especially quickly when drinking alcohol on an empty stomach.

I’ll tell you a little more about the effects of alcohol on the gastrointestinal tract.

Once in the esophagus, alcohol affects its veins, they weaken, become deformed and often simply burst, unable to withstand such a load. The esophageal mucosa in alcoholics is usually inflamed, which often leads to scarring and malignant formations.

In the stomach, alcohol destroys its protective lining, as a result of which the natural microflora is disrupted. An abnormal increased secretion of gastric juice also occurs, leading to obesity; the glands atrophy due to overload.
As a result, the stomach does not have time to digest all the food with diseased glands; it simply begins to rot inside us. In general, the gastric mucosa does not like very spicy, sour, hot foods, and alcohol, as a result of direct contact with the mucous membrane, destroys it more than the above factors, and burns of the walls are not uncommon. Atrophy of the mucosa leads to atrophic gastritis and ulcers, and this is a direct road to stomach cancer and human death.
If the drinker already has a stomach disease, such as gastritis, drinking alcohol leads to abdominal pain, which indicates that you need to stop drinking. A person, on the contrary, either takes pills to relieve pain, washed down with the same poison, or increases the amount of alcohol in order to switch off and not feel that he is ill.
Everyone thinks that gastritis is nonsense. But it is already reliably known that in most cases the scenario is as follows: gastritis - atrophic gastritis - stomach cancer - death. And this is no joke.
Well, let's follow the path of alcohol further.
Once in the duodenum, it causes the same harm as the stomach. The structure of these organs is similar, and ulcers can also occur, a very unpleasant disease. But what is important is that the duodenum is connected through ducts to the pancreas and gall bladder, and alcohol here begins its detrimental effect on these organs.

Alcohol strongly stimulates the secretory functions of the pancreas and spasms the ducts that exit it, so the enzymes it produces do not have time to all come out and begin to digest not food, but their own tissues. The result is alcoholic pancreatitis. In its acute form, it is a very dangerous disease, leading to irreversible processes in the pancreas and death of a person. If you are lucky and the person survives, chronic pancreatitis occurs. It is unlikely that life with such a diagnosis is considered full. Ask this to people who suffer from pancreas problems. These foods cannot be eaten, it is undesirable, in general, a strict diet. Do you need it? Think about it.

In the gall bladder, also due to the narrowing of the ducts, stagnation of bile occurs, and this leads to inflammatory processes in it. In addition, drinking alcohol contributes to excessive accumulation of cholesterol in the bile. The result of all this is gallbladder disease: dyskinesia, cholecystitis, stones, polyps in the gall bladder.
The latter, under certain unfavorable conditions, and alcohol intake is such, lead to cancer. There is only one way out, remove the gallbladder, and if you can live without it, you are guaranteed dietary nutrition for life.

Liver disorders

But the biggest harm from alcohol is to the liver. After all, it is she who must cleanse the blood of this terrible poison, and this is a heavy load for which the liver is naturally not designed. If it does not fulfill its function, intoxication of the entire body occurs. It has also been established that a single dose of alcohol leads to changes in the function of liver cells, and if a person continues to drink, it leads to pathological disorders and diseases.

What does the liver do?

Destroys ethanol, reduces its toxic properties and prepares it for elimination from the body. For this purpose, hepatocytes synthesize two main enzymes - alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The first breaks down ethyl alcohol into acetaldehyde, and the second forms acetic acid from acetaldehyde, which during metabolism turns into water and carbon dioxide. In this case, up to 10% of ethanol is excreted through the respiratory system, sweat and feces, and the rest leaves the body through the urinary system.

Alcohol abuse causes damage to liver tissue. At the first stage, fatty degeneration of liver cells appears - fatty degeneration. It is accompanied by a disturbance in the general condition, lethargy, drowsiness, and heaviness in the right hypochondrium. Abnormalities are usually not detected in a biochemical blood test.
Regular consumption of alcohol causes progression of the disease and leads to the formation of alcoholic hepatitis. Nausea, vomiting, enlarged liver appear, and sometimes jaundice develops. Laboratory tests reveal elevated liver function tests. If ethanol constantly enters the blood, alcoholic cirrhosis develops, which inevitably leads to death.

Cardiovascular disorders

The effect of ethanol on the heart muscle and blood vessels occurs even with a single dose of alcoholic beverages. After alcohol abuse, blood pressure increases, heart rate changes, blood vessels spasm, which leads to deterioration of blood flow in various organs and tissues. Cellular respiration is involved in the pathological process, energy production is disrupted, and the ability of the myocardium to contract is reduced. Regular alcohol abuse accumulates the negative effects of ethanol, which leads to the development of hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias of varying severity.

Disorders of the central nervous system

Neurons in the brain and spinal cord absorb ethanol from the blood well. The cerebral cortex and subcortical structures are primarily affected.
You know that in this case nerve cells die and are not restored; the person simply becomes dull. This also leads to a violation of behavioral reactions - liberation, irritability, suspicion, speech and motor agitation appear. Long-term use of alcohol causes hallucinations, personality disintegration, disruption of social adaptation, and the ability to function in the family and professional activities.
Chronic alcoholism leads to the appearance of alcoholic encephalopathy - toxic damage to the brain, which is accompanied by neurological manifestations and mental destruction. The motor function of the limbs suffers, sensitivity changes, and tendon reflexes decrease. Anxiety, various types of hallucinations, delusions, and antisocial behavior appear. In severe cases, the medulla oblongata, where the respiratory and vasomotor centers are located, is affected, which causes a coma and leads to death.

Sexual dysfunction

Cells of male and female gonads are sensitive to the toxic effects of ethanol. As a result of alcohol abuse, the motility and fertilizing ability of sperm are reduced, which leads to male infertility. In women, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, the size of the fallopian tubes and uterus decreases, the process of egg maturation slows down, and this in turn causes female infertility. Mutation of the gene material of germ cells causes the birth of children with physical deformities, developmental defects, low weight, or leads to miscarriages. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy causes the birth of sick children or contributes to stillbirth.

The negative impact of ethanol on the body makes us think about the need to stop drinking alcohol. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), you can take no more than 50 grams of vodka, 500 ml of beer, 200 grams of wine per day. To maintain health, longevity and a sober outlook on life, it is better to completely give up alcohol in favor of a healthy lifestyle, professional development, and fulfilling family relationships.

Mental and spiritual degradation

I recommend reading the book by Fyodor Grigorievich Uglov, “The Truth and Lies about Legal Drugs.” In the Soviet Union, many disliked him because he told the whole truth about the dangers of alcohol and that a normal person should not drink at all.
In Russia they began to drink a lot, even a cult arose that a real man is a man who drinks. If you don’t drink, it means you’re a weakling, not a man, and most likely crazy. A real man should smell of alcohol and tobacco. You see how zombified people are who do not see the truth.

Fortunately, times change, views change. The modern world requires completely different qualities from people, otherwise you will not survive. Today the qualities of a real man are completely different.
First of all, this is strength, a sober view of things, intelligence, the ability to make quick decisions, not to become depressed, and the ability to manage your emotions. A person who will achieve something in this life must be exactly like this; this is what modern realities of life require. The weak will not survive. In principle, a man should always be like this. But if he drinks, then there can be no talk of any strength. Alcohol makes a person weak, stupid, unable to control his emotions, turns him into an animal. Yes, yes, to an animal, because after each drinking, the number of nerve cells in the brain decreases. What kind of intelligence and self-control can we talk about in such a situation?

But the worst thing is that a drinking person degrades very spiritually, does not feel his soul, which means he dies now, without waiting for death. What does it mean?
Anyone who engages in energy meditative practice or leads a healthy lifestyle (by healthy life I mean not only the health of the body, but also the health of the soul) sees how much brighter, richer and more conscious his whole life becomes. We seem to wake up and understand that our previous state could not be called life. It becomes sad that I spent so much time sleeping, and woke up, opened my eyes and straightened my shoulders only now. Someone who drinks alcohol and deteriorates mentally, one might say, does not live at all, but is always in a dead state of consciousness. And this applies not only to the time when he is drunk, but even when sober. Even after sobering up, a mind killed by alcohol will no longer work at full capacity.

A drinking person almost never listens to his soul, which means he cannot control his feelings and emotions at all. He is completely in their power, while alcoholics are dominated by lower animal instincts and the negative emotions associated with them. Therefore, we can safely say that man turned into a pig. Higher feelings, such as Love, devotion, care, forgiveness, are not available to him. These feelings relate to the highest consciousness - the soul. And where do they come from if all the impulses of the soul are clogged with lower emotions? This is another argument for women choosing a life partner. A man who drinks never makes you love you the way he should love you in order for you to have a happy family. You will not have mutual understanding, because he cannot cope with his feelings, cannot understand himself, let alone you.

A woman chooses a strong man, but a drunkard is a weak man. It’s just a pity that there aren’t enough normal women who don’t drink. Having to give birth to children from “animals”, which leads to the birth of unhealthy children, and in the future to the degeneration of the nation.

Often in a male company, the one who drinks calls non-drinkers weaklings.
I'm always amazed at how hard the minds of drinkers become. After all, in fact, it is the one who drinks alcohol who is weak in spirit. You will understand this when I tell you the main reason. A drunkard cannot look at our complex life with a sober look. He is afraid of. It’s much easier not to accept responsibility for your actions and defeats, but to drown your grief with a glass of vodka. A person does not want to face a problem; it is better to forget, hide his head and see nothing. Subsequently, alcohol makes the nervous system sick and weak, which leads to an even greater inability to withstand stress. And the drunkard begins to drink even more. This is a direct road to degradation and death.

So, the harm of alcohol on the human body is obvious. The drinker becomes weak, sick, stupid and inadequate, spiritually degraded. But don’t think that if you drink a little and don’t consider yourself an alcoholic, then this doesn’t apply to you. Alcohol is harmful in any dose. Of course, you are not as sick as a heavy drinker, but believe me, alcohol has still done its destructive work in your body. If you hadn’t just drunk one glass of vodka at the holiday table today, you would have been healthier because the poison didn’t get inside you. They would have been smarter, because the poison did not destroy even a small number of nerve cells in the brain. You would simply be better in every way, kinder, wiser, not afraid of difficulties, because alcohol did not destroy your mental and spiritual essence.

You still don’t believe in the destructive effect of alcohol on the human body and psyche, then be sure to watch this video.

I also think this video will interest you.

I hope I was convincing.

I wish you success in the fight against bad habits that are destroying your body and psyche.

How is alcohol harmful to health, because if you drink it in moderation, it is pleasant and the consequences do not appear? This typical question, which is rhetorical in nature, is most often encountered by specialists in the fight against alcohol abuse problems. But it is obvious that the more correct formulation would be not as harmful or even dangerous, but when the harm of alcohol manifests itself, scientists already have very real answers to this question. But let’s not bore you with results about the scientifically proven facts of the harmful effects of drinking alcoholic beverages, but let’s try to describe this important topic in a simpler way. Everything that does not help your health is harmful; alcohol and a healthy lifestyle are mutually exclusive concepts.

Signs of the effects of alcohol in small doses

In the digestive system, alcohol is absorbed faster into the blood and carried to the brain cells. This is manifested by excitement, a joyful mood (euphoria, talkative, etc.). A person loses a sense of self-control, shame, becomes rude and can do things that he would never do if he was sober.

All diseases develop faster in people who drink

It has long been noted that people who have a bad habit of alcohol are more likely than others to suffer from various colds of the respiratory system, because alcohol weakens the body's resistance. Why alcohol is harmful to health - for everyone, alcoholic drinks do not provide health benefits at all, because these alcoholic poisons are consumed in such quantities that they cause intoxication, and this is a direct sign of intoxication of the body. The saying, the more you drink, the more you want, perfectly characterizes the dynamics of relationships with drinking. It is sheer stupidity to hide behind alcohol myths, refer to your own good health, or not detect obvious signs of harm at first when drinking beer or something else stronger. When the symptoms of alcoholism can no longer be ignored, it will be too late for most, and those few who can get out will very much regret the mistakes of their youth.

There is a very widespread opinion about the usefulness of alcohol as an appetite enhancer. Indeed, after drinking alcohol, the secretion of gastric juice increases, and in most cases appetite improves.

However, this can only be observed at first, until the body is overloaded with alcohol poison. Systemic consumption of alcohol leads to the fact that gastric juice, stimulated by alcohol, irritates the gastric mucosa and leads to gastritis. Simultaneously with the development of gastritis, the function of the pancreas is disrupted, which leads to pancreatitis.

Also, alcohol abuse leads to peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, to cirrhosis of the liver and other diseases. A person who abuses alcohol for a long time cannot be healthy, and if his sick psyche does not recognize the harm of alcohol, this only confirms this unfortunate fact.

Dear visitors to the site, we invite you to watch this video - “You can’t buy health” to look at life a little more cheerfully:

Alcoholism is spreading like a contagious disease

Research conducted by a group of scientists from different countries discovered an alarming trend almost simultaneously. By surveying more than 2,000 teenagers in various cities, it was found that if among teenagers aged 14-15 years about 30% of respondents periodically drink alcoholic beverages, then in 16-17 their number increases 2.7 times and is about 80 %. Such harmful consequences simply cannot be ignored.

The results of an analysis of the main reasons behind alcohol consumption by minors indicate that for most adolescents it is the desire for independence and self-affirmation, imitating the example of elders (including parents). Tense psychological atmosphere and frequent conflicts in the family. It is typical that most high school students learned the taste of alcohol in the family, and then the place to drink alcohol became company.

The use and abuse of alcoholic beverages is especially dangerous in childhood and adolescence, when the formation of the body has not yet completed; during this period, a special enzyme for the utilization of alcohol - alcohol dehydrogenase - is almost completely absent in the liver; this enzyme breaks down ethyl alcohol into simple non-toxic compounds. This is why drinking even a small amount of alcohol by a child can lead to very dangerous consequences.

Children's and youth alcoholism

In the body of a person who has been drinking alcohol since childhood, alcohol dependence forms much faster. Scientists studied the biographies of several hundred patients who were being treated for alcoholism and found that most of them began drinking alcohol at the age of 12-18 years. They received treatment only in 25-35, having severe damage to the central nervous system and internal organs, mental disorders, and in a state of pronounced social degradation.

Acute alcohol poisoning is extremely dangerous. Drinking a large dose of alcohol first causes deep alcoholic sleep, and each can cause the development of heart weakness, even paralysis of the heart muscle and breathing. Cases of sudden death among alcoholics are very common.

Thus, the main danger of the use and abuse of alcoholic beverages, especially in adolescence and youth, is the emergence of alcohol dependence, which gradually turns into serious illnesses - alcoholism - and manifests itself in irreversible damage to the central nervous system and all organs and systems. Alcoholics become indifferent to work, family, children, pushing aside the diversity of human life.

Consequently, a person who is unable to say “no” to alcohol abuse takes a path that can lead to physical, moral, spiritual, social degradation and, ultimately, to death.

Alcoholism does not remain at the initial stage for long and entails the development of a serious and dangerous disease - chronic alcohol dependence. This, as a rule, is accompanied by significant professional and occupational level, distorted life priorities and guidelines, destruction of personality and, ultimately, social, spiritual and mental degradation, which lowers a person to the “bottom” of society and inevitably leads to the death of a person. About 5% of teenagers who started drinking alcohol at this age end up in a drug dispensary, a psychiatric hospital, or “on the street.” It is very difficult to escape from this whirlpool. It is much easier not to get into it. And it depends on you, your will, your beliefs, your worldview.

Many people know that alcohol is harmful to the entire human body and psyche. The harm from alcohol begins with memory impairment and ends with serious illnesses that may not respond to treatment and, in some cases, lead to death. According to recent studies, even small doses of alcohol can lead to some changes in the human brain and other body systems. Alcohol harms not only the drinker, but also the people around him and society as a whole.

In 2009, more than 12,000 accidents were recorded in the Russian Federation due to drivers who were driving while intoxicated.

The harm of alcohol on the body can be colossal. The alcohol molecule is quickly absorbed into the blood and distributed throughout the body. The absorption process begins in the oral mucosa, the gastric mucosa absorbs about 20% of the alcohol, and the main part is in the small intestine. Alcohol easily penetrates the cell membranes of any tissue, but its content depends on the amount of water in the cell. Therefore, the most ethanol is absorbed into the brain tissue: 1.5 - 2 times more than in the tissues of other organs. The liver also has a high alcohol content, as it serves as a filter for the body and neutralizes substances harmful to it.

Parkhomenko Oleg Viktorovich, narcologist
Drinking alcoholic beverages is harmful, regardless of frequency of consumption and age. The positive effect is incredibly minimal compared to the harm that drinks containing ethanol (ethyl alcohol) cause to the human body. The negative impact of alcohol is especially noticeable at a young age, when drinking alcohol distorts the internal picture of the world for life.

Other organs and systems of the body may suffer from alcohol consumption:

1. blood vessels and heart;
2. urinary system;
3. stomach and intestines;
4. reproductive system;
5. nervous system.

After the first intake of alcohol, its molecule oxidizes at a rate of 85-100 mg/kg per hour. If alcohol is consumed frequently, the rate of oxidation increases, and resistance to large doses of alcoholic beverages occurs. The first consequence of harm from alcohol is memory impairment even after a small amount of alcohol. The higher the dose of alcohol, the more often a person suffers from memory loss. According to facts about the dangers of alcohol, one glass of alcoholic drink can kill 1000-2000 cells in the brain. 95% of alcoholics and 85% of moderate drinkers have this figure.

The harm of alcohol on the central nervous system is manifested primarily by the fact that alcohol molecules initially enter nerve cells. This is due to the high property of alcohol to dissolve fats, which are most found in the membrane of the nerve cell and amount to more than 60%. Alcohol penetrates into the neuron and is retained in it, since its cytoplasm contains an increased level of water. Alcoholic drinks quickly excite the nervous system, causing a person to become cheerful and relaxed. Over time, alcohol accumulates in nerve cells and begins to inhibit their functioning.

Liver cells suffer significantly from alcohol, as they are forced to process its molecules, although they are not adapted for this. As alcoholism develops, the liver wears out and its cells begin to degenerate. In place of the affected liver cells, fragments of adipose tissue appear. As a result, the working liver decreases in size and is unable to process harmful toxins. Liver diseases can affect the brain, causing irreversible damage.

Harm from drinking alcohol with certain drugs.

Alcohol +		Effect
1	aspirin	stomach ulcer
2	caffeine, coldact, coldrex, epherdine or theophedrine	hypertensive crisis
3	diuretics, antihypertensive drugs	severe decrease in blood pressure
4	panadol, paracetamol, efferalgan	toxic liver damage
5	insulin and other drugs that lower blood sugar	sudden drop in blood sugar, coma
6	painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, neuroleptics, tranquilizers, sleeping pills	intoxication of the body, cerebral coma
7	sulfonamides, antibiotics	lack of therapeutic effect, drug intolerance by the body
8	antihistamines, nitroglycerin	allergic reaction, increased pain

The harm of alcohol to the body is manifested in a lack of thiamine, which plays a large role in the functioning of the body. Thiamine or vitamin B1 is extremely important for many processes; its deficiency leads to various pathological conditions and diseases. With a lack of thiamine, the activity of the brain and nerve cells decreases, which leads to various disorders of the nervous system. A lack of vitamin B1 occurs due to insufficient nutrition, metabolic disorders in the body, as a large amount of alcohol is consumed and the person eats poorly.

Alcohol and smoking

Alcoholic drinks and cigarettes themselves are harmful to the body. Tobacco smoking in combination with alcohol causes a double blow to the body. Alcohol molecules and nicotine are absorbed into the blood and interact with red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, and carbon dioxide back from the tissues. Ethanol dissolves the protective layer on the outer surface of red blood cells, removing electrical voltage from them, which causes the red blood cells to stick together and form large balls. With an increase in the dose of drinking and smoking cigarettes, their size increases. This leads to the formation of blood clots in the vessels, and the blood supply to certain areas of the brain and other human systems is disrupted.

The harm of alcohol and smoking is expressed in a mutually reinforcing effect. According to information about the dangers of alcohol, the risk of developing cancerous tumors in the lungs and larynx among drinking smokers is 7-9 times higher than among those who do not smoke; in alcoholics it is 5-6 times higher than in non-drinkers. When two bad habits are combined, malignant tumors can occur in 40% of cases. By eliminating at least one factor, the risk is significantly reduced.

Alcohol and drugs

Drugs in combination with alcohol cause enormous harm to the body and can lead to frequent cases of death. Drug addicts can mix drugs in alcoholic drinks to get double the pleasure. Either similar in action or opposite are used to reduce the effect of one of them. Cocaine is most often combined with alcohol. After such a cocktail, the nerve cells of the brain are instantly affected, since the body is affected by two types of substances: restraining and stimulating, absolutely opposite to each other.

Restraining substances calm and relax the nervous system, stimulants force it to act actively. Alcohol in this case is a restraining substance, suppressing the nervous system, and cocaine is a stimulant, stimulating and activating nerve cells. This combination often ends in the death of a person.

By combining alcohol with drugs, a person suppresses the simplest reflexes and important functions in the body. Even with small doses of alcohol and drugs, respiratory functions can be impaired. In a state of intoxication, a person is not able to control the dose of the drug taken, and alcohol enhances the effect of even a small dose of the drug. Therefore, the harm of alcohol and drugs develops into a mortal threat to life.

Harm of alcohol for women

Researchers have found that the harmful effects of alcohol on a woman’s body are much higher than on a man’s body. This is explained by the structure and characteristics of the female body. Women's tolerance to alcohol is much lower than that of men, so female alcoholism develops faster and is much more difficult to treat. In women with alcohol addiction, liver cells are more quickly affected, the heart muscle is weakened, blood vessels are destroyed, and the nervous system is depleted. The harm of alcohol for women is manifested in aging skin, rapid fading of the whole body, changes in voice and appearance. The woman becomes ugly, aggressive and unable to control herself.

Everyone knows about the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy leads to negative consequences for the fetal brain, which later manifest themselves in poor development of the child’s organs, psyche, and behavior. If the mother regularly drank during pregnancy, the child develops (fetal alcohol syndrome). Children with this syndrome often have malformations of external organs, small arms and legs, and a head that is disproportionate compared to the body. They grow and develop slowly compared to their peers. Such children are not able to adequately perceive information, remember poorly and have a harder time adapting to the outside world.

A child with fetal syndrome has a brain volume that is smaller than normal, and the number of brain cells and neurons is much lower than normal. Neuronal cells in the brain of such children are not able to function normally, which leads to behavioral and psychological disorders. The child may be aggressive, and the ability for logical and abstract thinking decreases. It is more difficult for him to get used to communicating with other children and to be socially active. Such a child often becomes an alcoholic himself, since addiction is inherited.

The harm of alcohol for adolescents is higher than for an adult, since the child is at the formative stage. The harm of alcohol for adolescents is manifested in inhibition of growth, delayed development of mental and sexual functions, muscles, and affects a person’s appearance. A young body perceives alcohol worse and is not able to resist its influence. 100 grams of wine or vodka is enough to make a teenager drunk. Teenage alcoholism develops 5-10 times faster than in adults. Particular attention should be paid to the harm of alcoholic energy drinks, which seem harmless. However, this is not true; they contain ethanol and can pose a threat to the child's life.

The harm of alcohol on the body of a child and adolescent is expressed in the following:

• disruption of chemical processes in the child’s brain and nervous system, causing developmental delays and memory impairment;
• the teenager’s ability to study and other areas of science and creativity decreases;
• the ability for logical and abstract thinking decreases;
• manifestation of psychosis and depression;
• children and adolescents deteriorate emotionally, and their real perception of the world around them decreases.

It is very important in families and educational institutions to talk about the dangers of alcohol for adolescents and schoolchildren. Regular preventive conversations about the dangers of alcohol will help protect children from addiction and further alcoholism.

The harm of alcohol to others

Experts claim that alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs, since it has a depressing effect on the body, causes attacks of aggression in a person, makes him unable to control his actions, prone to violence and even murder. The harm of alcohol manifests itself not only for the person himself, but also for those around him. In a state of severe alcohol intoxication, a person can attack another person or start a fight for no reason.

About 80% of domestic violence cases occur under the influence of alcohol, and about 60% of all crimes are committed while heavily intoxicated. A person is not able to control his actions and actions. About 50% of all road accidents occur due to the influence of alcohol on the driver’s body. A drunk person driving can cause harm to other drivers and pedestrians.

The harm and benefits of alcohol

Many researchers and modern scientists argue about the dangers and benefits of alcohol. Recent studies have shown that drinking wine several times a week can significantly reduce the risk of heart and vascular diseases and protect against diabetes. Red wine contains a large amount of antioxidants that slow down the aging process and kill cancer cells. The number of blood clots is reduced, which means the risk of blood clots is prevented. But is this really so?

Alcohol, even in small doses, causes emotional dependence. Academician Pavlov found that reflexes disappear after drinking a small dose of alcoholic beverages and return to normal after 7-11 days. Gradually, the amount of alcohol consumed may increase. According to data, people who drink alcohol moderately have an 85% chance of brain cell shrinkage after 4 years. Alcoholic drinks in low doses are harmful to the human liver, blood vessels and skin. The risk of diabetes, hypertension, pancreatitis and cancer increases. Whether you get harm or benefit from alcohol is up to you to decide, but it is better to protect yourself from the addiction.