The scandalous British psychotherapist David Nutt, who became famous not only for his scientific achievements, but also for his habit of expressing his thoughts and beliefs directly and without unnecessary tone, thinks that there is no substance more dangerous for a person than alcohol. In terms of the degree of destructive effect, ethyl alcohol overcomes many poisons and narcotics, but for some reason the habit of drinking at night is considered normal by most people.
Of course, when alcoholism crosses social boundaries, and a person slides into the abyss and begins to live a small lifestyle, this is considered a slow suicide, but are most people so critical of the so-called domestic drunkenness? A glass or two of wine with dinner, a bottle of beer with a football match, or 100 grams of liquor for a meeting with friends is considered as appropriate as a cup of tea, but such habits in the end cause no less harm. harm from chronic drinking. Is alcohol really that dangerous, or is it just a stereotype? Let's turn to the opinion of scientists.
The harm of alcohol on the human body: briefly about the main ones
So, what are the main dangers of alcohol? In harmless that is deceptive! Californian scientists claim that ethyl alcohol in small quantities is completely safe. True, they wisely kept silent about where "a small number" ends and "drunk" begins. It is also impossible to find information about who funded this study, as it was not published in any high-profile scientific journal, which requires all trial protocols and data on sponsors. Is it because representatives of the alcohol industry are at the head? It remains only to guess.
At the same time, no such dependence will arise by itself - often alcohol addiction grows precisely from the habit of drinking a bottle at special moments of joy and sadness, among friends and relatives. And we're not talking about famous alcoholics who can't live a day without a bottle of cheap wine - those who ruin their health every day are enough in smart circles.
It is difficult to find a more dangerous liquid than alcohol. It acts on the brain like serotonin (the natural hormone of happiness), causing feelings of happiness and high spirits. It is this effect that is responsible for the emergence of habits - instead of learning to enjoy life to the full, it is easier to cloud the mind with substitutes for pleasure.
However, this effect is quickly replaced by a less pleasant effect - a decrease in the amount of control over one's own emotions and actions makes the drunk person "appear in all his glory. "Some show aggression, others start crying for no reason, others behave tooloving. . The number of manifestations of drunkenness is great, but none of them looks attractive from the outside.
Moreover, inappropriate behavior is far from the worst drunk companion. According to statistics, more than half of traffic accidents and a third of suicides occur while drunk. With each glass drunk, the number of cells in the cerebral cortex gradually decreases, but the irreversible effect is not immediately visible. Look into the eyes of a person who has been drinking alcohol for a long time and often - healthy thoughts, social norms and human perception there are gradually replaced by superficial animal instincts and the desire for a bottle. Moreover, this process is irreversible - if the destroyed liver can still be treated a little, then the cerebral cortex is not restored. Australian scientists have proven that even those who drink alcohol moderately 2-3 times a week, the size of the brain gradually decreases, and its function decreases due to shrinkage. On average, 200 ml of 40-degree strong drink kills 1000-2000 cells. Remember this when pouring another glass!
Harms of alcohol for men
Like any addictive substance, ethyl alcohol acts insidiously - at first you will not notice any unpleasant changes and health consequences, but over time, when it is impossible to refuse a drunken glass, you yourself will understand howcheat the first. effect is. Even the belief of some drinkers that a bottle helps them relax and de-stress is nothing more than self-delusion. Such feelings cause paralysis of the center of attention and self-control - ethanol, entering the blood, affects the center of the brain and simulates a feeling of euphoria, which overshadows all other feelings, blunting the rational perception of reality. The same goes for marijuana or hashish. Why are the dangers of drugs known even to children, and alcohol is considered indulgent? No answer…
In addition, stereotypes imposed by the media and advertising about brutality and masculinity of the stronger sex are directly related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. A glass of beer, a glass of whiskey or rum is considered a noble pastime for a real man, but this is not at all. Yes, at first this glass will not be visible, but with each new sip, vessels and capillaries will become exposed and less elastic, and the heart will work at half strength. This means that after several years of regular "evenings with a glass", blood circulation will definitely be disturbed, and, as a result, impotence will appear, which cannot be eliminated even with the help of modern potency regulators - any of these drugs have strict restrictions onalcohol. So, dear man, remember: by raising glass after glass, you are depriving yourself of an important aspect of a fulfilling life.
The harm of alcohol on the female body
Women's alcoholism is worse than men's. Although ethanol acts equally damaging to the organism of both sexes, the physiology of women is more peculiar: weakness, emotions and psychological sensitivity of the fair sex are reasonable physiological characteristics, which means that they develop a dependence on the illusion of happiness and tranquility. faster. Trying to hide from the problem in the oblivion of alcohol, women get drunk faster, because the body cannot resist this attachment, and psychological peculiarities prevent the mind's attempt to overcome the desire for a glass.
In addition, women's liver filters ethyl alcohol worse, which means it breaks down faster under its influence. As statistics show, the first signs of cirrhosis appear in women on average after 5 years of alcohol dependence, and in men - after 7. And although the difference is small, it clearly shows that women's bodies are a priori more sensitive than men's. to alcohol.
What are the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy?
A pregnant woman is a sacred vessel in which the life of an unborn child is hidden. It is unfortunate that not every woman sees the state of pregnancy in this way. Modern trends dictate new rules: today, women "in position" do not deny themselves anything, including a glass of red wine, which gynecologists allegedly recommend to them to relieve tone and general relaxation of the body. Who issued medical education diplomas to these doctors? What are gynecologists guided by when recommending this to pregnant women? There are many proven and safe ways to relieve stress, such as fresh air, meditation, simple yoga poses, or walking in nature. What's with the alcohol?
Studies by the American Society have shown that the death rate of newborn babies in alcoholic mothers is 5 times higher than in those who do not drink alcohol. And this is not about alcohol addiction, but about the famous "cultural drink", which is called everyday drunk. Ethanol affects the fetus even in the womb, causing retardation, mental retardation and other pathologies that will accompany the child for the rest of his life! Is her suffering worth the imaginary pleasure of a mother who can't resist a glass of alcohol?
An interesting experiment on the effect of alcohol vapor on embryos was conducted at the Federal Center for Medicine and Biology. 160 eggs are placed in the incubator, at the same time an ethanol vapor generator is installed in the room. As a result, half of the embryos did not form, and of the remaining 80, 40 died on the first day after birth, and another 25 had serious defects - for example, without a beak, one wing, or with the wrong one. shape the legs. Worth considering!
The harm of alcohol on a teenager's body
There is not and cannot be a natural need to drink alcohol - children learn this by watching their family and loved ones. If the advertising, sale and consumption of alcohol were banned on the same day, no child would feel deprived or inferior, and even more so would not experience the desire to try products containing alcohol. However, in adolescence, statistics change significantly: more than 60% of modern teenagers try alcohol at the age of 15, and at the age of majority, their percentage reaches 90 years.
Research by our scientists B. S. Bratusya and P. I. Sidorova showed that even at kindergarten age, children easily reproduce the process of drinking and drunkenness. If you ask the children to play a wedding, birthday or trip to the party, they will involuntarily clink their glasses, pour drinks into them and say a toast. Thus, a stereotype is formed that alcohol is a companion of celebration and fun, a symbol of carefree and happy adult life. This is where teenage alcoholism begins.
What harm does alcohol bring to today's youth?
Today's teenagers think of alcohol as a small and idle hobby that allows you to overcome the first disappointment, overcome the embarrassment on the first date, or just have fun with friends. However, even a glass of low-alcohol drink such as beer or homemade wine will be enough for a fragile body to get drunk and lose control.
Drinking for teenagers is a wrong opportunity to assert themselves, feel more mature, more relaxed and more daring. To portray yourself as a "bad boy" or "deadly girl" using alcohol for this is as easy as shooting a pear, but is everything as harmless as it seems? Destructive behavior, attempts to appear more mature, arrogance and hysteria are far from the worst companions of teenage drinking. Most young people, after drinking a glass, lose their sense of proportion, gradually succumbing to feelings of euphoria. This is how addiction arises, and taking into account the fact that in adolescence the body as a whole and the psyche in particular are not fully formed, it will be more difficult to overcome the addiction that has arisen than in adults.
The harm of alcohol on the human body: results
Data from the World Health Organization is unequivocal: every third case of premature death is somehow related to alcohol consumption. Some drink to the point of complete destruction of the body, others have accidents under the influence of ethanol, others lose self-control and harm themselves. However, today the conscious choice in favor of a quiet lifestyle is not so easy: successful men and women with a glass of alcohol look at us from their own TV screens, billboards and smartphones, and only at the bottom in small and almostcannot be seen. font is a footnote: "Excessive consumption of alcohol harms our health" to comply with the law.
Such massive advertising has a simple explanation: the profits of the alcohol industry are estimated at billions of dollars, where every potential consumer is another opportunity to fill his pockets. To counter this propaganda, it is enough to think with your own head and worry about your own health. The atomic explosion in Hiroshima claimed the lives of two hundred thousand people, and alcohol kills about one and a half million every year. That's all math. . .
6 reasons to quit alcohol
A glass of wine is often offered as a relief from stress and emotional difficulties. At the same time, alcohol can be the cause of many problems. We tell you why alcohol-free is better.
Alcohol is a depressant
Alcohol is often referred to as an antidepressant, and this is not true. It only relaxes the body for a short time and improves mood by increasing dopamine, the pleasure hormone. But then, the body adjusts to hormone production, and more is needed to achieve its effect. In addition, tetrahydroisoquinoline is formed, a substance that inhibits the production of dopamine and serotonin. A person stops enjoying life without stimulation, falls into a depressive mood. Thousands of neurons are destroyed, which cannot be restored.
Following a short-term improvement in mood, an increase in aggression and apathy will follow. Scientists say that alcohol contributes to insomnia, increases anxiety, and with systematic use can cause nervous disorders.
The negative effect on mood decreases after two weeks of abstinence from alcohol and is almost completely eliminated within a month - a person recovers mental function, mood becomes normal, vitality and motivation increase.
Drinking alcohol affects appearance
With frequent alcohol consumption, the skin loses its elasticity due to dehydration. This leads to premature aging and cosmetic problems: redness and swelling, gray skin color, bruises under the eyes and wrinkles appear. Cholesterol increases in the blood, which leads to the appearance of reddish streaks on the whites of the eyes. When a person stops drinking, most body functions are gradually restored, which has a positive effect on appearance. This will take from a few weeks to a few years, depending on the duration of drinking.
Alcohol causes overeating
Ethanol stimulates a special AGRP protein called "obesity protein". It significantly increases appetite, causing gluttony, even when a person is full of energy and does not want to eat. The habit of drinking a glass of wine helps to slow down the metabolism, so it is better to replace alcohol with a healthy drink.
Alcohol causes disease
Alcohol is the cause of cirrhosis and hepatitis due to inflammation and scarring of liver tissue. It actively destroys the pancreas and causes a tendency to diabetes. The intestinal wall is destroyed under the influence of alcohol, the cell structure changes, they stop fully absorbing useful substances, which affects the immune system and general health. Alcoholic beverages have adverse effects on most organs. In the stomach, the production of mucin is suppressed - a substance that protects the mucous membrane from irritants. Without it, the stomach is prone to gastric and peptic ulcers.
Intestinal microflora is gradually restored within a week after ridding the body of alcohol. By the way, the production of alcohol from the female body is 20-25% slower than that of men. If a person remains sober for two weeks, he will have clarity of thought, blood pressure will normalize, heartbeat will stabilize, shortness of breath and headaches will disappear.
Ongoing financial expenses
One of the less obvious, but pleasant consequences of quitting alcohol is savings. High duties are imposed on the raw materials of winemaking, therefore, ready-made drinks are mainly bought in the country from abroad. The price of alcohol is always rising, and if you drink high quality (and others are not worth it), then this will affect the budget. Even at an average cost of around a glass of wine with dinner each month, you'll save quite a bit. Add to this the cost of visiting the doctor, as well as buying medicines and cosmetics, which you need more or less with a healthy lifestyle.
Risk of developing alcoholism
It seems that alcoholism can develop only in the less fortunate. In fact, this is not always a clear disease with external signs. An early-stage alcoholic can continue to have an active social life, go to work, care for loved ones, and hang out with friends. Alcoholism occurs regardless of standard of living, wealth and education. At the same time, it is not clear, at first glance, a breakdown in the work of the body and soul appears. Therefore, it is very important to control this habit and monitor your health to avoid irreversible consequences. Moreover, the sooner a person stops drinking alcohol, the sooner most problems arising from it are resolved.
What if it's just a little?
You often get the opinion that in small doses alcohol is good for health. Doctors from the American Heart Association argue with this theory. Over the course of six years, they observed about five thousand volunteers, half of whom drank regularly and sparingly - only a glass of wine or a cup of beer in the evening. Experts state that these people, according to general health indicators, have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular system disorders, including an increased likelihood of atrial fibrillation.