Ways Over-Drinking Harms Your Health
Drinking Can Cause Heart Disease, Diabetes and Other
Worldwide, each person 15 years and older consumes 13.5 grams of pure alcohol per day, according to the World Health Organization. Considering that nearly half of the world doesn't drink at all, that leaves the other half drinking up their share.
According to a CNN article, while the majority of the world drinks liquor, Americans prefer beer. The Beverage Marketing Corp. tracks these things: In 2017, the average American adult guzzled about 27 gallons of beer, 2.6 gallons of wine, and 2.2 gallons of spirits.
With all this boozing going on, just what damage does alcohol do to your health? Let's explore what science says are the downsides of having a tipple or two.
Heart Disease
A 2017 study of nearly 2 million people with no cardiovascular risk found that there was still a modest benefit in moderate drinking, especially for women over 55. Why that age? Alcohol can alter cholesterol and clotting in the blood in positive ways, experts say, and that's about the age when heart problems begin to occur. For everyone else, the small protective effect on the heart was evident only if the drinks were spaced out during the week. Consuming heavily in one session, or binge drinking, has been linked to heart attacks.Diabetes
The connection between alcohol and diabetes is complicated. Studies show that drinking moderately over three or four days a week may actually lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, drinking heavily increases the risk. Too much alcohol inflames the pancreas, which is responsible for secreting insulin to regulate your body's blood sugars.
Mood and Memory
Because alcohol is a depressant, drinking can drown your mood. It may not seem that way while you “party” your inhibitions away, but that's just the drink depressing the part of the brain we use to control our actions. The more you drink, say experts, the more your negative emotions, such as anxiety, anger and depression, can take over.
That's why binge drinking or drinking a lot in one sitting is associated with higher levels of depression, self-harm, suicide and violent offending.
Other health effects of over-drinking include consuming extra “empty” calories which can lead to obesity, lack of sleep, and negative effects on your appearance.
Article Source: CNN
Image Source: Pixabay