I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but I feel compelled to share the deleterious effects of excessive alcohol consumption since I see some many people around me are turning to alcohol for diverse reasons.
As someone who loves a good cabernet in some occasions, trust me, writing this post is as hard on me as it is on you.
Well… here we go:
🧠 NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BRAIN: It might feel relaxing in the short term, but in the long term, it affects the central nervous system causing more anxiety, depression, mental health issues and prolonged use can lead to stroke and brain damage.
😴 SLEEP: even though alcohol induces sleep, it's a very poor quality sleep as it suppresses REM sleep which is crucial for rest, memory and cognition. I personally believe that the most damage from alcohol comes from this factor alone, since a lack of proper, quality sleep leads to so many health issues.
🫥 DEHYDRATION: alcohol inhibits ADH hormone, which is responsible for keeping fluids in your body and maintaining hydration. When that happens, your body will rid itself of much needed water and create a fluid imbalance and dehydration. Notice how you one urinates a lot more when they drink alcohol? A body can survive several days without food but only about 3 days without water.
🥩 LIVER: The liver, as you may know, a vital organ, has so many important responsibilities including metabolizing ✨everything✨ and clearing our body of toxins (or any excess substances) regularly ingested in our diets, so overloading the liver with yet one more toxin, i.e.: alcohol, will make it much harder to keep your body toxin free therefore susceptible to illnesses. In addition, excessive alcohol use can cause cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver and even permanent liver damage. Again, a vital organ.
🦠 GUT: imbalances gut flora, strips away the protective lining (mucus) of our GI tract, causes increased permeability, and diminishes nutrient absorption.
🦋 HORMONES: alcohol is an endocrine disruptor, so it creates imbalances our hormones
💥 AGEING: increases inflammation and oxidative stress
🩸 METABOLIC: It interferes with your sugar and triglycerides levels and causes mitochondrial dysfunction
🫀HEART: Increases risk of heart disease, stroke, arrhythmia, hypertension, and other cardiovascular issues.
🌱 Ayurvedicly speaking, alcohol increases Vata and Pitta more significantly in the midterm, so those constitutions will feel a greater impact on their overall health balance in addition to the issues previously mentioned.
🥃 HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? As I stated in this channel many times, everyone is different. But if you feel the need to drink alcohol everyday, that’s a red flag. Most healthy people can process a couple of drinks a week without a problem. Listen to your body and monitor your tongue. Swelling on the outer side edges may mean your liver is overwhelmed.
💨 Vata: more likely to develop mental health issues and dehydration.
🔥 Pitta: more likely to develop liver and cardiovascular diseases.
🪵Kapha: tend to have a sturdier foundation, but are more likely to develop metabolic disorders.
See image below for a detail view of alcohol-related organ damages.
To a balanced life!
Namaste,
Grazie Prokopetz, Doctor of Ayurveda
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