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For most of my adult life I have been an enthusiastic wine drinker, hardly a day going by without it.
Then, one early spring day nearly two years ago, I decided to do a two-week liver cleanse, so took - what I intended to be a temporary - wine hiatus.
I felt so fabulous during that time, and in some ways I would never have suspected, that I've never had another sip!
So, like every annoying former smoker, and having investigated a bit further into the science, I am now warning of the health dangers of alcohol consumption. Does that mean you can't be optimally healthy unless you become a teatotaller? No. But. You should be aware of how chronic, regular alcohol consumption can be impacting your health, perhaps in ways you never considered before.
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, I presented this page as a webinar; tune in to watch the video!
"The harmful use of alcohol is a worldwide problem. It has been estimated that alcohol abuse represents the world's third largest risk factor for disease and disability; it is a causal factor of 60 types of diseases and injuries and a concurrent cause of at least 200 others. " Alcoholic disease: liver and beyond
“Most people love the way drinking alcohol makes them feel, at least in the short term. Going out and having a few beers doesn’t hurt anyone, right? Well, not exactly. Long-term consumption of alcohol can lead to liver disease, kidney disease, and numerous cancers, just to name a few. What’s worse, you don’t have to be getting blind drunk every night to be experiencing the negative
health effects of alcohol. Alcohol is a highly addictive substance that corrupts the neuronal pathways and re-wires our brain. This makes us more and more dependent on the drug that is slowly taking over our lives and killing us.”
Alcohol & the Heart
"Alcohol can have serious negative effects on the cardiovascular system, including hypertension, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. Read on to explore how alcohol affects the cardiovascular system."
"Research has shown that regular alcohol consumption is linked to hypertension in a dose-dependent manner.3,4 While low to moderate alcohol consumption in healthy adults appears to have no acute or substantial impact on blood pressure, chronic alcohol use can lead to hypertension."
"Binge drinking and chronic alcohol consumption are associated with acute arrhythmias such as AFib, even in those who have an otherwise normal heart function. In fact, there’s a term—namely, holiday heart syndrome—to describe acute disturbances in heart rhythm after heavy alcohol consumption over a long weekend."
"This study provides evidence of a causal relationship between higher alcohol consumption and increased risk of stroke and peripheral artery disease. The causal role of alcohol consumption for other cardiovascular diseases requires further research."
Alcohol & the Liver
"Every time you drink alcohol, some liver cells (called hepatocytes) die. Although the liver is a robust organ that can regenerate new liver cells, drinking too much over many years can reduce its ability to regenerate cells."
"While heavy alcohol use consistently associates with liver disease, the effects of nonheavy alcohol consumption are less understood. We aimed to investigate the relationship between nonheavy alcohol use and chronic liver disease."
Nonheavy Alcohol Use Associates With Liver Fibrosis and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in the Framingham Heart Study
Alcohol & The Brain
"It's no secret that alcohol affects our brains, and most moderate drinkers like the way it makes them feel — happier, less stressed, more sociable. Science has verified alcohol's feel-good effect; PET scans have shown that alcohol releases endorphins (the "pleasure hormones") which bind to opiate receptors in the brain. Although excessive drinking is linked to an increased risk of dementia, decades of observational studies have indicated that moderate drinking — defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two for men — has few ill effects. (A drink equals 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer.) However, a recent British study seems to have bad news for moderate drinkers, indicating that even moderate drinking is associated with shrinkage in areas of the brain involved in cognition and learning." This is your brain on alcohol
Results Higher alcohol consumption over the 30 year follow-up was associated with increased odds of hippocampal atrophy in a dose dependent fashion. While those consuming over 30 units a week were at the highest risk compared with abstainers (odds ratio 5.8, 95% confidence interval 1.8 to 18.6; P≤0.001), even those drinking moderately (14-21 units/week) had three times the odds of right sided hippocampal atrophy (3.4, 1.4 to 8.1; P=0.007). There was no protective effect of light drinking (1-<7 units/week) over abstinence. Higher alcohol use was also associated with differences in corpus callosum microstructure and faster decline in lexical fluency. No association was found with cross sectional cognitive performance or longitudinal changes in semantic fluency or word recall. See the Study
"Many people enjoy having a few drinks after work or on the weekend, but what happens when drinking becomes a daily habit? The effects of drinking alcohol every day can be damaging to both your physical and mental health. In this article, we will explore the potential consequences of daily alcohol consumption."
Physical Effects - i.e., liver, blood pressure, weight gain
Increased Risk of Cancer
Mental Effects
Impaired Judgement & Decision Making
Relationship Problems
Financial Strain
Risky Behavior
Physical Dependence
Nutritional Deficiencies
Increased Accidents
Increased Risk of Stroke
Hormone Imbalances
Weakened Immune System
Liver Failure
"Conclusion:​
While it may be tempting to have a drink every day, the potential consequences of this behavior are not worth it. Daily alcohol consumption can lead to a variety of negative physical and mental health effects, including weight gain, liver disease, high blood pressure, depression, and poor sleep. If you are struggling with alcohol use, it is important to seek help from a medical professional or support group."
Alcohol & The Digestive System
"Alcohol is causally associated with oesophageal squamous cell cancer, gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and most likely also with pancreatic cancer. Alcohol when combined with tobacco smoking or excess body weight can act synergistically to cause gastrointestinal cancer. Exposure to alcohol may have contributed to the recent incidence increases of early-onset gastrointestinal cancers in some Western countries." Alcohol Use and Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk
Alcohol & The Lungs
"Alcoholic lung disease is an umbrella term that covers the various lung problems caused by repeated alcohol use.
Over time, alcohol abuse affects the body’s immune system and central nervous system, putting the person at a higher risk of disease.
Related to the lungs, this can include inflammation, infections, asthma, and more. In severe cases, alcoholic lung disease can be fatal.
The effects of alcohol may also lead to respiratory depression or impair saliva production, which can contribute to a risk of infection and lung damage." What is Alcoholic Lung Disease?
"The most common and identifiable alcohol-associated health prob lems include liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, cardiomyopathies, neuropathies, and dementia. However, the lung also is adversely affected by alcohol abuse, a fact often overlooked by clinicians and the public. Individuals with AUD are more likely to develop pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Increased susceptibility to these and other pulmonary infections is caused by impaired immune responses in people with AUD. The key immune cells involved in combating pulmonary conditions such as pneumonia, TB, RSV infection, and ARDS are neutrophils, lymphocytes, alveolar macrophages, and the cells responsible for innate immune responses. Researchers are only now beginning to understand how alcohol affects these cells and how these effects contribute to the pathophysiology of pulmonary diseases in people with AUD." Alcohol’s Effects on Lung Health and Immunity
Alcohol & The Neuromuscular System
"Alcohol-related myopathy is one of the earliest alcohol-associated pathological tissue changes that is progressively exacerbated by cumulative long-term alcohol misuse. Acute and chronic alcohol use leads to changes in skeletal muscle mass and function. As discussed in this evidence-based review, alcohol-mediated mechanisms are multifactorial with effects on anabolic and catabolic signaling, mitochondrial bioenergetics, extracellular matrix remodeling, and epigenomic alterations." Alcohol and Skeletal Muscle in Health and Disease
Alcohol-related myopathy
Alcohol affects muscle fibers causing alcoholic myopathy. Drinking too much alcohol over time can weaken the muscles. This condition can be acute, affecting people for a short period of time before resolving, or chronic, lasting for a longer period of time.
Up to 46 percentTrusted Source of people with alcohol-related myopathy showed noticeable reductions in strength compared with people without the condition.
Symptoms can include:
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atrophy (decrease in muscle mass, also called muscle wasting)
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muscle cramps
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spasms
Does alcohol cause muscle weakness?
Alcohol misuse can cause muscle weakness. According to a 2017Trusted Source review, muscle myopathy is common in alcohol use disorder. In addition, about 40 to 60 percent of people who experience chronic alcohol misuse also experience alcohol-related myopathy.
Alcohol-related neuropathy
The term neuropathy refers to conditions that arise as a result of neurological injury or damage and the disrupted nerve signaling that results from such changes. Neuropathies may be caused several different health issues, including excessive alcohol use.3 Alcoholic neuropathy is one of the most common neurological complications of chronic alcohol use.4 Alcohol related neuropathies can develop specifically due to alcohol’s directly toxic effects on neurons as well as in association with acquired nutritional deficiencies related to chronic alcohol use.3, 4
Estimates indicate that up to 66% of people who have chronic AUD experience some form of alcoholic neuropathy.1 The condition tends to affect the lower legs, with symptoms such as:4
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Pain.
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Paresthesias (burning or prickling sensations that feel like pins and needles).
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Ataxia (poor muscle control).
Treatment of this condition centers around stopping continued drinking. With abstinence for several months to years, complete remission of the condition and a full regain of function is possible.1
Alcohol & The Pancreas
"Pancreatitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas often associated with long-term alcohol consumption. Symptoms may result from blockage of small pancreatic ducts as well as from destruction of pancreatic tissue by digestive enzymes. In addition, by-products of alcohol metabolism within the pancreas may damage cell membranes. Research on the causes of pancreatitis may support more effective disease management and provide hope for a potential cure." Alcohol-Related Pancreatic Damage
"Alcohol consumption can interfere with blood sugar as well as the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. People who frequently consume a lot of alcohol can wipe out their energy storage in a few hours.
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Over time, excessive alcohol consumption can reduce the overall effectiveness of insulin. This results in high blood sugar levels. Many people with alcoholic liver disease also have either glucose intolerance or diabetes."
Does alcohol affect blood sugar levels in diabetes?
Alcohol & The Bones
"Long-term alcohol consumption can interfere with bone growth and replacement of bone tissue (i.e., remodeling), resulting in decreased bone density and increased risk of fracture. These effects may be exerted directly or indirectly through the many cell types, hormones, and growth factors that regulate bone metabolism. Alcohol consumption during adolescence reduces peak bone mass and can result in relatively weak adult bones that are more susceptible to fracture. In adults, alcohol consumption can disrupt the ongoing balance between the erosion and the remodeling of bone tissue, contributing to alcoholic bone disease. This imbalance results in part from alcohol-induced inhibition of osteoblasts, specialized cells that deposit new bone. Some evidence suggests that moderate drinking may decrease the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women." Alcohol’s Harmful Effects on Bone
Alcohol Use in Pregnancy
"Alcohol is toxic; it is a depressant and psychoactive drug that slows the brain and central nervous system and affects mood and mental processes. Once in the bloodstream, it can be carried through the umbilical cord and across the placenta where it impacts the fetus, robbing it of nutrients and affecting its developing brain. Women who drink risk miscarriage, stillbirth or delivery of a baby with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD condemns a child to lifelong problems, including learning disabilities, mood and sleep disorders, behavioral issues, language and speech delays, poor memory, coordination difficulties, even physical abnormalities, including shortened height, low body weight and changed facial features."
The Good News!
"According to Greek mythology, Zeus punished Prometheus for giving fire to humans. He chained Prometheus up and set an eagle to feast on his liver. Each night, the liver grew back and each day, the eagle returned for his feast. In reality, can a liver really grow back?"
Natural Recovery by the Liver and Other Organs after Chronic Alcohol Use
Expert Reveals What Happens to Your Liver When You Quit Alcohol
"So, to answer the question posed by the myth of Prometheus, the liver has an amazing power to repair itself after it has been damaged. But it cannot grow back as new if it was already severely scarred.
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If you stop drinking and only have a fatty liver, it can quickly turn back to normal [3-4 weeks!]. If you had a scarred liver (cirrhosis) to start with, stopping alcohol will allow some healing and improved function but can't undo all the damage that has already been done.
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If you want to look after your liver, drink in moderation and have two to three alcohol-free days each week. That way, you won't have to rely on the liver's magical self-healing power to stay healthy."
To be fair: What about all of the health benefits of red wine and even spirits that can be found in the literature?
"Yet while light/moderate drinkers lowered their risk for cardiovascular disease, the study also showed that any amount of alcohol increases the risk of cancer. And at higher amounts of alcohol consumption — more than 14 drinks a week — heart attack risk started to increase while overall brain activity started to decrease (which may be associated with adverse cognitive health).
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The authors concluded that research should focus on finding new interventions that reduce the brain’s stress activity without the deleterious effects of alcohol.
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"The research team is currently studying the effect of exercise, stress-reduction interventions such as meditation, and pharmacological therapies on stress-associated neural networks, and how they might induce cardiovascular benefits.
Alcohol Use Guidelines
Interesting...What's up, New Hampshire?
Ah! I looked into it, and, don't forget, there is no sales tax on liquor in New Hampshire, so we have very many from surrounding states - Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine - who shop regularly in our state for alcohol! That makes sense, however: "In New Hampshire, however, both the excessive drinking rate and the share of impaired driving deaths are slightly higher than the corresponding national figures. Statewide, 18.9% of all adults drink excessively compared to 18% nationwide. Also, 32.9% of driving deaths in the state involve alcohol compared to 31% nationwide." Why New Hampshire Drinks More Beer Than Any Other State
Mocktails/Zero Alcohol Beer: Tasty & Satisfying
The Aplós Collection
Experience our functional non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails, infused with natural botanicals like hemp and adaptogens for a soothing and uplifting sensation.
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