Alcohol affects your body—whether you’re a light, moderate or heavy drinker—but not always in ways you think. A single sip of beer, wine, or whisky stays in your body for about two hours and touches down on nearly every organ and system in your body.
Studies have shown that moderate drinking comes with a slew of health benefits, but there are some drawbacks when you start to overdo it. Here’s what you should know:
Your Brain
While alcohol does not kill brain cells, contrary to popular belief, it does impair the cerebellum—the control site for your balance and coordination—and your cerebral cortex, which is responsible for thinking, memory, and learning.
Plus, the amygdala—an area of the brain involved in fear and anger—shows less of a reaction to threatening faces after a single drink, potentially explaining why you’re prone to risky behavior (like fighting a bouncer) under the influence.
RELATED: A man’s guide to healthy alcohol consumption
Your Skin
Alcohol dilates your blood vessels, making them more prone to breakage, which gives you bloodshot eyes and worsens a ruddy-skinned condition called rosacea. In response, your heart pumps more fluid into surrounding tissues to balance out those alcohol-widened arteries and veins, leaving you with a bloated, puffy face.
Your Muscles
Alcohol messes with your hormonal and inflammatory responses to exercise, making it more difficult for your body to repair damaged proteins and build new ones.
RELATED: Is an occasional post-workout beer OK?
You’ll compound this effect if you reach for a beer before a recovery snack or shake, says study author Matthew Barnes, Ph.D., of Massey University in New Zealand. So take the time to get some protein, carbohydrates, and non-boozy fluids into your system post-workout before cracking open your first cold one.
Your Heart
While those moderate two drinks a day might protect your heart, they can also raise your risk of atrial fibrillation by 17%. This type of irregular heartbeat approximately quadruples your risk of having a stroke and triples your risk of heart failure.
Your Stomach
Just one night of bingeing (that’s five drinks or more in about 2 hours for men) increases what’s called your gut permeability. That’s when harmful toxins and bacteria leak from your digestive system into your bloodstream, prompting a dangerous immune-system response that can eventually lead to liver disease and other health problems.
RELATED: You can still enjoy alcohol while watching your weight
But even if you keep your drinking to moderate levels, alcohol still irritates your stomach, increases acidity, and relaxes the muscle at the end of your esophagus, causing heartburn.
Your Penis
Having as few as five drinks a week can decrease your sperm count and percentage of healthy swimmers. Also, almost three-quarters of men with alcohol dependence have at least one sexual health issue, such as low desire, erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation, say Indian researchers.
Curated article from:
Men’s Health
