“What are the disadvantages and advantages of alcohol consumption”? This is one question that bothers so many people, but they usually ignore the answers. Today we’ll go over this topic in detail!
“For my home town, na rum and schnapps”, goes a popular 1990s Nigerian song or something like that. Yeah, rum, vodka, kaikai, akpeteshi, ogogoro, burukutu, wine, beer, spirit etc, call it whatever you want.
Every culture has a name for it. It’s a part of society. When they celebrate, when they mourn, when relaxing, when angry, when happy, when confused etc.
Apart from water and oxygen, I think it’s the one something every society has in common. Though prohibition means it’s no longer available in some places.
“Of course am talking about that liquid that contains the ingredient that brings momentarily succour in a confusing situation, the ingredients that bring calm to the heart and other good feelings…” Perhaps according to a bibber poet. Lol.
Drinking Alcohol or alcoholic drinks serve different purposes for different people; some, it’s a way to start a beautiful day, a way to end a stressful day, a way to make it through a rough day, a pass time hobby, a way of keeping up with the doctors prescription, or it could just be medicine for the heart.
No matter what seemingly good alcohol does for you, whether it’s to give the heart a boost (as it used to be believed; that moderate drinking of red wine is good for the heart), or it’s just a feel-good serum, what no one consciously bargains for is the many problems associated with alcohol consumption.
Let us examine the disadvantages and advantages of alcohol consumption.
There is Bad news, and there is breaking News:
*An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
A glass of alcohol a day or every other days sets the doctor your way.*
1. Liver Problem:
The liver is the filter house of the body. It is responsible for filtering dangerous substances from the body and helping us either convert them to a harmless substance or passes them.
What happens with the liver in alcohol consumption (prolonged usage) is that alcohol could cause inflammation of the liver Which in turn could lead to other liver complications like:
- Cirrhosis
- Fatty liver disease
- Alcoholic hepatitis etc.
2. Pancreas Problem:
The pancreas is an important organ in the digestive system which is mainly responsible for the control of the sugar level in the blood. With excessive and prolonged use of alcohol, the blood vessels around the pancreas become inflamed, leading to pancreas impairment which most time may not be easily diagnosed in its early stages. Pancreatitis is one common complication.
3. Cancer: yes!
Certain types of cancers have been found by researchers to increase directly or indirectly as a result of prolonged use of alcohol.
It has been linked in some cases to the occurrence of:
- liver cancer,
- colorecter cancer,
- neck and head cancer,
- esophageal cancer, and
- breast cancer.
4. Immune System Problems
It undermines the integrity of the immune system. Just 24hrs of excessive drinking can lower the efficacy of the immune system which could lead to increased incidence of infection.
5. Digestive Problems
Prolonged drinking can lead to damage of the intestinal wall which in turn could lead to ulcers, pure nutrient absorption. It may lead to bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and dehydration.
6. Heart Problem
Prolonged and excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to heart complications from irregular heartbeat to heart failure.
Recommended: How Tobacco (Cigarette) Affects Your Health as Users and Non-users
7. Sexual And Reproductive Health Impairment:
This is kind of ironic since people use alcoholic drinks as its common in some parts of the world to aid sexual performance. The problem here is that it over time leads to erectile dysfunction in men, loss of libido, menstrual sensation in women, infertility, and in pregnancy; miscarriage, premature labour and stillbirth.
8. Impairs Brain Function.
If you have ever seen someone drunk and how they behave, you more like understand that they have both lost the ability to think rationally or even act voluntarily in a reasonable manner. It all has to do with interference of the nervous system.
Ever wondered why it is usually illegal worldwide to drink and drive?.
Because its an established fact that a certain amount of alcohol in the system is enough to impair sound decision making.
In the United States, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 as read by a device called the breathalyzer is enough to indicate one is not legally fit to drive as at this concentration, some people may not be able to make a sound decision which could be a matter of life and death.
The brain and our ability to make a quick and sound judgement are what makes humans higher than other animals.
With alcohol, this superpower is taken away from us, and we become on a range of levels:
- Confused
- Euphoric
- Mentally slow
- Lose control of moto coordinations
- Fall into coma and even death.
People have been drinking alcoholic drinks for thousands of years, and perhaps you have known many people who did and still do, and can’t possibly be all gloomy from where you stand. In fact! You might say, doctors recommend moderate drinking as good for the heart.
Now here is the breaking News… (Drum rolls!):
“There is no safe level of drinking”…new research.
” the supposed health benefit of alcohol is not worth the health and social risk”… Everyday research.
We hope you get the needed value and know the disadvantages and advantages of alcohol consumption as outlined in this article. Be sure to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
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See also: Health Benefits, Uses And Ways To Prepare Okra
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