Dose produces poison. – Paracelsus, 1538
There are only a few molecules that humans consume that are both nutrients and drugs. Coffee and alcohol are two great examples. The antioxidants in coffee have many health benefits, while caffeine in high enough doses can be fatal. Obviously, dosage is important. The same goes for alcohol.
How alcohol affects the body and brain
To begin, let’s look at what alcohol does in the brain—specifically, how it interacts with three different neurotransmitters.
First, in low doses it enhances the action of the neurotransmitter GABA. Why is this important? GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Whenever and wherever it works, it effectively shuts down that part of the brain.
When we start drinking, the first effects we notice are because GABA inhibits activity in our cortex. The first result is a relief from anxiety; change in us personality and judgment with additional doses.
With higher doses, the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination are affected. Finally, at very high doses—the exact amount can vary for different people—the parts of our brain that control breathing and heart rate become inhibited, and we risk death.
Second, alcohol also stimulates release dopamine. This action may be based on our feelings of pleasure.
Finally, at higher doses, alcohol also inhibits the neurotransmitter glutamate. This neurotransmitter is important for the formation of memories. This is why we may not remember what happened when we were drunk.
Next, let’s see what happens to the alcohol molecule when it enters the body.
Alcohol goes to the stomach and liver, where an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase converts it into an aldehyde – a type of organic compound consisting of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, often along with other elements – that is very irritating to our tissues. This aldehyde is converted to acetate and finally to carbon dioxide and water. Part of the acetate is converted into fatty acids, which are stored in the liver, fat layers and other organs.
Is drinking alcohol always good for you?
When you read about the various physical and cognitive effects of alcohol, you may wonder: Are any of the above true? benefit people who drink? To answer this question, it is important that the dose sexage and tissues involved.
According to the information of the National Institute on Alcohol consumption and alcoholism, less than 7 drinks per week for women and less than 14 drinks per week for men are considered “low-risk drinks.” At these doses, numerous epidemiological studies have reported some health benefits, including:
- The risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced, possibly because alcohol increases the level of good cholesterol, HDL. This benefit is especially in after menopause women
- Moderate alcohol consumption improves our insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Light to moderate alcohol consumption can reduce platelet stickiness and clumping, temporarily thin the blood and reduce the risk of clots. (Note: There is an obvious downside to this effect as well – for example, if you get into an accident.)
- Moderate consumption can reduce the incidence of colds by 60 percent. Red wine, but not white, provides the body with enough antioxidants that help strengthen the benefits of the immune system.
- Forty years of studies involving more than 360,000 people have reported that moderate drinking reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by twenty-three percent. This benefit is reduced if you have two copies of APOE-ε4 gen.
- Moderate alcohol consumption reduced the risk of gallstones by 33 percent.
- Alcohol, especially wine, helps prevent kidney stones.
- Urinating more often increases urine volume. A higher urine volume reduces the saturation of difficult solids that produce stones such as calcium or oxalates. (However, this only works if you drink plenty of fluids to reduce the dehydrating effects of alcohol.)
When does alcohol consumption become harmful?
Harmful effects are also dose-, time-, and tissue-dependent.
Alcohol use, like all drugs, shows a tolerance effect. This is usually when problems arise.
The body, especially the liver, quickly adapts to a person’s level of consumption – meaning that larger and larger doses are needed to achieve the same effect. As the liver becomes more efficient at removing alcohol from the blood, the brain requires more to experience the pleasurable effects of alcohol on GABA and dopamine function.
Due to the constant presence of acetaldehyde and acetate in the liver, long-term heavy alcohol consumption leads to inflammation and fat deposition within the liver. Over time, chronic inflammation produces a cirrhotic state that eventually leads to functional failure.
The effect of aldehyde on the blood vessels is the basis of the linear relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of hypertension. In addition to widespread inflammation, aldehydes change its surface estrogenincreased risk of breast cancer; they can also damage DNA. The most affected tissues are those directly exposed to aldehyde, which leads to colon, esophageal, and throat cancer.
Important articles on alcoholism
Finally, when it comes to the brain, depending on the dose, alcohol shuts down neurons. This action leads to impaired judgment, slower reaction time, and the possibility of accidents and death.
What we still don’t know about the effects of alcohol
Of course, there are some caveats to all of this.
First, many of the early alcohol studies had methodological flaws because they did not take into account that people who consume small to moderate amounts of alcohol may have other healthy habits, e.g. diet and regular exercise. For example, moderate drinkers exercise more than non-drinkers.
It is also difficult to understand what the control group should be: heavy drinkers or pure abstainers. Some people abstain because of existing health problems—and in general, abstainers have lower rates of death and chronic disease than moderate drinkers.
Finally, it is important to note that young people, especially Gen Z, are drinking much less and less alcohol than previous generations. These young people are likely to choose marijuana over alcohol more often than ever before, and a greater proportion of them prefer cannabis-infused foods and THC drinks.
Is this a safer choice? In alcohol vs. marijuana debate still going on – but as I’ve been telling my students for the past few decades, the brain often tricks you into consuming things your body doesn’t like.
