Ah yes, high school days. The times where you could eat all you want and barely gain anything considerable.
The times when beer pong reigned supreme and birthdays were full of laughter and sneaky make-out sessions.
Such is not the case anymore, with the pandemic restricting gatherings and leading people to drink alone.
But this time, people aren’t drinking for celebration. They are drinking because they’re lonely.
More young people have been binging on alcohol since the pandemic than before. These unusual drinking practices can lead to harmful consequences, like increased deaths from overdose and drunk driving.
Too many times, the lives of youth are cut short because of alcohol consumption.
And yet, people underestimate the effect of alcohol and continuously critique marijuana consumption.
Rest assured, alcohol can kill you. And here’s how.
Contrary to what fitness gurus, health influencers, and self-certified nutritionists on Instagram suggest, you don’t need to detox every day.
Why?
Because you have an organ in your body that takes care of that, and it’s called the liver. One of the liver’s jobs, out of many, is to get rid of toxic substances in your bloodstream by converting them into less harmful compounds.
That’s why when you drink alcohol, the liver makes it a priority not to have elevated levels of alcohol in your blood.
Too much alcohol can overwhelm the liver in the long run and lead to cirrhosis (a liver disease where normal tissues get replaced with scar tissues).
The liver is known as the engine of the body, and if it starts to malfunction, be prepared to suffer from multiple deficiencies and digestion issues.
People who go overboard with alcohol act in different ways. Some start laughing uncontrollably, and others get all grumpy and avoid talking to anyone.
The most dangerous ones are those who completely flip out and start getting aggressive. The once calm person is no more. They are now balls of wildfire waiting to explode.
They take out their anger either on people or objects. Both can be detrimental.
Drunk driving, for instance, is still one of the leading causes of death. Places, where police are non-existent tend to have higher risks of drunk driving accidents.
And with the ongoing economic hardships, people are more likely to get drunk and commit suicide.
Spousal abuse is another effect of alcoholics. They might not remember the next day, but their partner or children will. That will result in unfavorable family conditions and cost them a divorce if things get out of control.
The way alcohol clouds the mind and interferes with decision-making is the same as any other drug. So drink responsibly to avoid a potential disaster.
With all the adverse effects that overconsumption brings, are there any benefits to drinking alcohol?
For starters, Italians have been drinking wine with their spaghetti for over 100 years, maybe even more. And the majority of their population live till the age of 80 and above.
So what’s their secret?
Generally, nutritionists recommend one glass of red wine per day for women and two glasses for men. (1 glass= between 70 to a 100ml). Red wine is special since it contains the compound resveratrol, an antioxidant that helps maintain heart health.
You should always be mindful when consuming alcohol. If you love drinking but want to keep it under check, then you can contact a blood draw service to make sure you’re not paving a road towards alcoholism.
