“Truth in wine” - this ancient dictum is known to almost everyone. But modern scientists completely disagree with him, they argue that the most terrible enemy of mankind is alcohol.
What is alcohol?
And really, but are there any advantages to alcohol? What is it? Alcohol in its pure form is ethyl alcohol, it can be obtained from any sugar by fermentation. Ethanol is quickly absorbed into the blood, in just 5-10 minutes, while it instantly affects the nervous system.
Most often, people like this condition, they feel confident, easy and comfortable, alcohol provokes a false sense of happiness. All problems fade into the background, and it seems that you can fully enjoy life.
But do not forget that alcohol is a narcotic substance, and its use is in any case associated with great risks. Now more and more people turn to specialists for help in order to get rid of alcohol addiction.
Not everyone tolerates alcohol use the same way. One will rejoice and have fun, and the other will end up in hospital with severe intoxication. So the advantages of alcohol are very doubtful.
Alcohol metabolism
How quickly the first effect appears, and how quickly the substance is completely eliminated from the body, depends on several factors. But to drink or not to drink, it is better to decide in advance.
- The influence of general metabolism and genetics is quite strong. For example, how active is the thyroid gland or the rate at which certain enzymes in the liver are produced that are responsible for the breakdown of ethanol.
- A significant role is played by age. Oddly enough, alcohol is slowly coming out of young people. The weak activity of ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase) is to blame for this, it is it that makes acetaldehyde from alcohol. The paradox is that when ADH becomes too much, it threatens intoxication, since in this case it already slowly disintegrates with the help of ADHD (acetaldehyde dehydrogenase). Also at risk are older people. Everything is much simpler here, the volume of water in the body and the liver itself are reduced. So teens and old people get drunk faster.
- Gender and weight are also very important. These two factors are interconnected. No wonder it is believed that the most dangerous is female alcoholism.
After all, women are often smaller than men, and even though the excretion rate is the same, you need to remember that the lower the weight, the higher the peak of the effect of intoxication. After a hundred grams of vodka, a person weighing 60 kg will be much drunker than a hundred-kilogram strong man. For one who is lighter, even a ppm will be higher. How much alcohol you can drink without harm depends on the weight of the person.
4. The degree of intoxication is also affected by how full the stomach is. A hungry person will get intoxicated much faster, and even earn an ulcer in such a situation - just spit. But a drink and a good snack can lead to an unexpected situation. After a saturated fatty dinner, alcohol is absorbed longer, but it is still absorbed. A person does not get drunk for a long time and drinks a lot. And when the alcohol does reach the blood, it becomes drunk strongly and for a long time.
5. It must be remembered that drunkenness is stronger in the morning than in the evening.
6. Various substances. Those that act on the GABA system (gamma-aminobutyric acid) enhance the effect of alcohol, but norepinephrine, on the contrary, makes it weaker.
Different dosages
Many people believe that low-dose alcohol is even beneficial, is that so? Indeed, the effect of intoxication is very dependent on how much is drunk. A strong psychostimulating effect is exerted by 20 ml of alcohol per person with a weight of about seventy kilograms. He will become cheerful, talkative and quite agile. If you translate this into understandable doses, you get about 60 ml of vodka or a bottle of beer.
But if you drink more than 30 ml, then this dose affects the GABA system, and here you can’t talk about the pluses of alcohol at all. A noticeable dullness occurs. Human behavior is becoming inadequate, now a lot depends on education and licentiousness. With increasing doses, it is becoming increasingly difficult to control yourself. So the best recommendation for drinking alcohol is to drink as little as possible.
Alcohol action time
Here we must again return to metabolism. Many factors influence how much alcohol acts. If you average all the indicators, you get a pretty rough result. This is approximately 7 grams per hour. That is, if the dose is 20 mg of alcohol, then it will come out in three hours.
Alcohol begins to act in a few tens of minutes. Here, too, it all depends on various factors.
Seven grams per hour is a rather relative indicator. If the stomach is full, then the rate decreases. Especially if the person’s weight is above average. If the body is trained, then the alcohol will come out a little faster, due to the fact that more anabolic hormones are produced, namely they increase the volume of blood.
Pros and Cons
The benefits and dangers of alcohol have been debated for many centuries. Fans of the "green snake" are finding more and more advantages, but research by modern scientists refute almost all of them. As a result, to drink or not to drink is a personal decision of each person.
Relaxing effect
Indeed, sometimes alcohol acts as an antidepressant. If you use it in moderation, it will help to relax and relieve stress. But here it is all about volume. In order to relax and not overdo it, just a couple of glasses of natural wine or a pile of high-quality strong alcohol. And if you choose the right snack, you can fully enjoy the taste of both the drink and the dishes.
Causes liver cirrhosis
Excessive libations adversely affect the entire body. But alcohol inflicts the most severe blow on the liver. And most often the consequences are really scary. Liver cirrhosis is a very serious disease in which healthy cells of this organ die off on their own, and fibrous tissue appears in their place. Naturally, the liver will no longer function normally.
Reason for rapprochement
If most people in a company are unfamiliar with each other, then a small amount of alcohol will work as a link.
And in this case we are not talking about mass drinking. In order to relax and overcome the threshold of embarrassment and awkwardness, a glass of wine or a bottle of beer is enough.
Hangover syndrome
Often after drinking merry drinks, the condition in the morning leaves much to be desired. A hangover is by no means a plus for alcohol. Most often, this is severe dehydration, terrible headache, gastrointestinal problems, pain in the eyes. Usually a person spends the whole day in torment and trying to get rid of painful symptoms.
French paradox
Here the debate between scientists is ongoing. The French prefer fatty foods and drink wine daily, but at the same time people of this nationality are least likely to suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system. Either red wine in small quantities is really useful, or it is this nation that has some kind of immunity to such diseases.
Digestive effects
When drinking alcohol, an intoxication of the body almost always occurs. Naturally, this can in no way contribute to digestion. Also, dehydration leads to a slowdown in metabolism. The only thing that can be advised in this situation, along with alcohol, you need to use as much clean water as possible.
The benefits and dangers of alcohol can be argued endlessly. One thing is clear, if you drink alcohol, then only high-quality and in small quantities.