I just finished a presentation on alcohol metabolism for my Biochemistry of Nutrition class. I learned so much by researching this topic to create the presentation. We were required to create a presentation on metabolism and nutrition that would be of interest to potential clients. I chose alcohol metabolism because I really wanted to know if "moderate" drinking is harmful to the body. We all know that the abuse of alcohol is harmful and that alcoholism is devastating to the body, but I didn't know the affects of alcohol when consumed in moderation. I now know and want to share the important points of what I learned with you.
TIP 1: Don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Without food in your stomach, much of the alcohol gets absorbed through the stomach walls and arrives at the brain within a few minutes. With food in your stomach, an enzyme begins the breakdown of alcohol and moves it along to the small intestine with the food.
TIP 2: Alcohol gets preferential treatment in metabolism over other nutrients. There are two reasons for this: 1) Your body cannot store alcohol and 2) Alcohol is a toxin and needs disposal. The body tries to get rid of the toxin, so it puts other nutrient metabolism on hold while it deals with the alcohol.
TIP 3: The liver is the primary site of alcohol metabolism. When the alcohol-laden blood arrives at the liver, an enzyme (the same enzyme that started the break down in the stomach) is made by liver cells and breaks the alcohol down into an even more toxic compound. Then more enzymes and coenzyme vitamin B3 (Niacin) are then needed to break down the more toxic compound. Niacin's is important for lowering cholesterol, controlling blood sugar, and helping process body fats. Because of alcohol's priority treatment, Niacin gets diverted to break down alcohol. If someone drinks heavily on a regular basis, a deficiency of Niacin can develop.
TIP 4: The liver is only capable of metabolizing 1/2 ounce of alcohol per hour on average. If you consume more than 1/2 ounce of alcohol in an hour, the alcohol will be recirculated again and again in your body until the liver is capable of metabolizing all of it. This means your brain gets pretty saturated with this recirculation process and this is the point when someone is intoxicated or "drunk." The key here is to drink no more than 1/2 ounce of alcohol per hour to give your liver an opportunity to metabolize the alcohol without becoming overburdened.
TIP 5: This leads us to the question, just what is "moderate" drinking? In the U.S., moderate drinking for a women is 1 drink per day and for a man is 2 drinks per day. Drinking patterns matter. For instance, drinking 7 drinks on Saturday night and none the remainder of the week is NOT moderate drinking. This is binge drinking. Go back and read TIP 4. Imagine the burden on the liver when you consume 7 drinks in one evening!! A standard drink is equal to a 5 oz. glass of wine, a 12 oz. glass of beer, or 1-1/2 oz. of 80 proof liquor.
TIP 6: Remember the enzyme in the stomach and the liver that begins the breakdown of the alcohol? Women have less of this enzyme available than men, which means women absorb more of the alcohol into the bloodstream than mean, which means women become more intoxicated on less alcohol than men. Girls - don't try to keep up with the boys! We aren't built the same!
TIP 7: Alcohol is a source of energy. Once it gets completely broken down in the liver, it becomes a compound that can be used for energy in the body. But...in excess, it gets stored as FAT! Therefore, if you are watching your weight, or trying to lose weight, regular consumption of alcohol can lead to weight gain.
TIP 8: Alcohol metabolism displaces other nutrients, consumption leads to nutrient deficiencies, and affects every cell and every tissue in the body - primarily the liver and the brain. Even one night of heavy drinking can result in fatty build-up in the liver. The liver's primary job is to break down fatty acids, but again, because of alcohol's priority in metabolism, the fatty acid break down gets put on hold and fats build up. Over time, this can lead to a condition called "fatty liver," which is the first stage in liver deterioration. Second stage is called fibrosis, which results in scar tissue from repeated damage. Third and final stage is cirrhosis of the liver, which is irreversible. Fatty liver is reversible with abstinence from alcohol.
TIP 9: Because of the complexity of the effects of alcohol on the body, and the complexity of the people who drink it (e.g. age, health, etc.), broad recommendations for the safety of drinking alcohol are not practical. The best advice I can give is to say if you don't drink, don't start. If you do drink, drink below the definition of moderate (see TIP 5). Your liver will thank you for it!
Final FACT about alcohol: Alcohol doesn't make you fat, it makes you lean...against a chair, a wall, a floor, and ugly people! Hahahahahaha! That's just my little joke!
In all honesty - I know after learning all of this information that I will think twice before I have more than one drink per hour and although I often like to have a glass of wine with dinner in the evenings, I will no longer consume alcohol on any regular basis. Leaving 2-3 days in between alcohol consumption will allow the liver time to break down any fats that might get stored because it had to metabolize alcohol.
To Your Health!
No comments:
Post a Comment