20 Surprising Facts About Alcohol That Will Make You Never Want To Drink Again
Want To Cut Down On Drinking?
Alcohol: it's the substance so many of us reach for when we're celebrating, when we're stressed, or socializing. It's so normalized in society that we can be tricked into thinking that it's harmless, but in reality, it's anything but. Here are 20 surprising facts about alcohol that might just make you swear off it.
1. It's a Carcinogen
Alcohol has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, which is the highest risk category. This is the same classification as cigarettes, radiation, and asbestos.
2. There's No "Safe" Amount
For decades, alcohol was marketed as "healthy" if consumed in moderate amounts. However, this has been debunked with more recent research that shows that even a moderate amount of alcohol can pose health risks.
3. It Shrinks Your Brain
Even moderate drinking has been shown to reduce brain volume when done over a long period. Alcohol is toxic to nerve cells, and chronic drinking causes them to shrink and die, leading to a loss of brain tissue.
4. It Ruins Your Sleep
One of the most obvious effects of alcohol is that it disrupts your sleep. Though it may help you fall asleep faster, it prevents deep REM sleep, which is crucial for recovery, learning, memory, and emotional processing.
5. It's The Third Most Common Preventable Cause Of Death In The US
After hypertension and smoking, alcohol consumption is the third most common preventable cause of death in the US. It's also the single biggest risk factor for death, bad health, and disability among 15 to 49-year-olds in the UK.
6. It Can Damage The Heart
Chronic drinking weakens and damages the heart by increasing blood pressure and stretching and thinning the heart muscle. It can also interfere with the heart's electrical system, which palpitations, increasing the risk of stroke.
7. It Causes A Lot Of Violence In The World
Around half of all fatal car crashes, drownings, and homicides are related to alcohol consumption. This is because alcohol interferes with the brain's ability to regulate emotions, control impulses, andimpairs motor function.
8. It Can Cause "Leaky Gut"
Yes, a leaky gut is as bad as it sounds. It's when your intestinal linings weaken and toxins and bacteria seep into your bloodstream. Chronic alcohol consumption can contribute to this.
9. It Can Cause Liver Disease
The liver is your body's filtration system, which metabolises alcohol. When your liver is focused on breaking down alcohol, it's less able to process fats, causing them to accumulate, leading to fatter liver disease. Chronic alcohol consumption can also cause irreversible scarring of the liver due to too much inflammation.
10. It Dehydrates Every Part Of Your Body
You know how dehydrating alcohol is just from how thirsty you feel the day after a night of drinking. It dehydrates every part of your body, pulling water from your organs, skin, and brain.
11. It Slows Fat Burning
When you drink alcohol, your body prioritizes metabolizing it over everything else. This means fat and sugar get stored instead of being burned.
12. It Raises Your Risk Of Depression & Anxiety
"Hangiety" is real. Alcohol alters your brain chemistry, depleting its mood regulating hormones like serotonin. It also makes emotions harder to process and makes sleep quality poos, which has also been linked to despression and anxiety.
13. It Destroys Your Gut Microbiome
Alcohol kills good bacteria in your gut which allows harmful ones to flourish. This leads to a weakened gut lining and increased inflammation.
14. It's Highly Addictive
Alcohol is highly noramlized in society, but it's actually a highly underestimated drug. Alcohol dependency can evolve slowly, making it one of the most socially accepted but dangerous addictions.
15. It Messes With Blood Sugar
When you drink alcohol, you liver prioritizes breaking it down instead of regulating your blood glucose levels, causing your blood sugar to become dangerously low, especially if you're diabetic. When you consime beer, mixed drinks, or cocktails which are high in carbs and sugar, it spikes your blood sugar.
16. It Affects Fertility
Alcohol affects fertility by disrupting hormone balance, lowering the quality of eggs and sperm, and interfering with ovulation. It also lowers testosterone levels and can lead to sexual dysfunction.
17. It Causes Skin To Age Faster
Alcohol ages your skin by damagine collagen and elastin, the proteins responsible for keeping your skin smooth and firm. It also dehydrates your skin, making it look dull and causing fine lines and wrinkles.
18. It Negatively Impacts Cognition
In the short term, alcohol impairs activity in the prefrontal cortex, disrupting memory processing, planning, and your ability to speak coherent sentences. In the long term, it leads to a reduction in white matter, shrinkage of the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and logic, and faster cognitive decline.
Stefano Bucciarelli on Unsplash
19. It Impairs Judgement
Have you ever wondered why the worst decisions you've made were under the influence of alcohol? Because of its affects on the prefrontal cortex, alcohol impairs your ability to reason and plan. It reduces your inhibitions and increases impulsivity.
20. It Can Change Your DNA
Alcohol produces a toxic compound that can damage your DNA. It also hinders your body's ability to repair DNA, which is a key reason why it increases your risk of cancer.
