Health Problems with Alcohol and Ways to avoid Alcohol urges
Drinking alcohol bears short-term and long-term effects on the body, lifestyle and mental health. In a virtual sense, alcohol helps us relax, boosts self-belief and makes a person more social. However, the very first sip alcohol affects the body. From the brain to various other parts. There are a lot of health problems with alcohol. For example, drinking alcohol lowers the amount of fat burnt for energy in the body. Here’s how:
Alcohol turns into acetate during digestion. The body tries to burn off acetate before any other form of stored calories, to use it as energy. So, more eaten food calories are not burnt off in the body. This, in turn, leads to sudden weight gain. This, on the other hand, leads to serious health risks. Examples are gloom, cancer, heart problems and diabetes which are again related to drinking alcohol as well.
General Health Problems with Alcohol
Effect of alcohol on the body depends on a lot of factors. Such as age, weight, gender and the type and amount of alcohol. Drinking alcohol when not in control takes a toll on health. This also affects the lifestyle as well. Health problems with alcohol are as follows:
- Cancer- Besides smoking, alcohol is the second biggest risk factor causing cancer. Alcohol once taken turns into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde in the body. This damages the DNA. It also stops the body from fixing damaged cells. Hence, alcohol causes bowel, mouth, liver, breast, and other types of cancer.
- Heart Damage– Too much alcohol drinking boosts heart rate and blood pressure. This, in turn, causes abrupt heartbeat and weakens the heart muscles. Drinking alcohol for many years boosts risks of heart attack, stroke and so on.
- Kidney Damage– Drinking alcohol in excess upsets the kidney’s ability to filter blood. Heavy drinking causes cell damage and enlarges kidney. This, in turn, impacts the kidney function that controls hormones.
- Liver Damage– Alcohol degrades the body’s healthy tissues and replaces it with scar tissues. As per studies, alcohol lets toxins from gut bacteria into the liver. This causes inflammation, scarring, etc.
- Pancreatitis- Heavy alcohol drinking leads to molecular interference. This also damages the cells of the pancreas. Acute pancreatitis causes internal bleeding in the glands, tissue damage and infection.
- Brain Coordination factors- Drinking releases GABA and dopamine in excess. These are naturally occurring neurotransmitters. Too much release of these cause delusions, spasms, depression. Too much release of endorphins causes fatigue and poor sex drive. Alcohol also causes the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome which affects the memory.
Also, for men, alcohol and testosterone do not make a good mix. Keeping a healthy level of testosterone is another good reason to stay away from alcohol.
Detox Alcohol with De-addiction foods
Most people turn to alcohol to lower stress and relax. Also, chronic alcohol drinking does physical and mental damage. For most people, taking alcohol is more of a habit which is hard to resist. Stop alcohol urge with healthy options like:
- Drinking more alcohol over time lowers the happy chemical in the brain. This lowers the dopamine levels. Low dopamine causes sadness and anxiety. Eating banana boosts dopamine and raises serotonin in the brain. This lowers anxiety during the initial pull-out period. Also, raw chocolate cacao, mucuna pruriens and sunflower seeds are superfoods that boost dopamine.
- Vitamin B battles fatigue and helps to produce red blood cell for the heart and brain function. It breaks down nutrients and is key for digestion. Vitamin B fights against this habit and urges for alcohol. Broccoli, spinach, peas, lettuce, oranges, melons and so on are rich sources of Vitamin B.
- Made of fiber nutrients, plant-based foods aid in keeping a stable blood sugar level. Well, this, in turn, stops alcohol cravings. Have plant-based nutrients like lentils, black beans, okra, and avocado and so on. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can replace key vitamins lost in the body through mal-absorption of alcohol.
- Foods that contain L- Glutamine betters brain function and lowers alcohol craving. It is a key fuel for the brain since it lowers stress and sugar cravings. This helps addicts to recover. Some examples such as fresh raw spinach and parsley are good sources of L-Glutamine. It is mainly an amino acid.
- Complex carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal and whole grain bread control the blood sugar levels in the body. These help in slowly releasing carbs into the bloodstream. So complex carbohydrates help to control alcohol urges.
Say no to Alcohol and Yes to a Healthy Life
Managing alcohol greed is a daily issue. When one gives up on alcohol, it has health benefits on the whole body. It lowers heart risks, betters the immune system, aids weight loss, etc. In other words, it keeps you away from health problems with alcohol. Also, it absorbs vitamins and minerals better in the body and clears brain fog. So by taking the right combo of diet and exercise regime, one can beat the alcohol urges. In short, you should not drink too much to protect your health.
Creator of the Juicing For Your Manhood programs and the #1 men’s health blog Olivier Health tips main editor. He has developed a new passion for juicing and has done a lot of experiments with foods possessing healing properties. His mission is to teach men to reinvigorate their lives using the power of juicing.
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