November 1, 2019 by Dreasy
Alcohol or ethanol is found in alcoholic drinks like beer, cider, and vodka which makes you feel euphoric and relaxed.
Alcohol is made by fermenting the sugars of a variety of food through yeast. For example, vodka is made of sugar found in potatoes and wine is made from sugar in grapes.
Alcohol acts as a depressant which impedes the nervous system by affecting neurons. As you drink, the alcohol slowly enters your bloodstream, travels throughout your whole body (also affects the child during pregnancy), and works its way up to the brain. It slows down brain functions which ultimately leads to drowsiness and relaxation of muscles.
Alcohol affects your mind and behavior. It’s the reason why you suddenly act on stupid ideas or have the courage to talk to that person across the bar. It acts as a hypnotic drug that lowers the nervous system and leads you to an intoxicated state.
Factors like gender, age, body makeup and health condition affect how intoxicated one can be. For example, a person who drinks on an empty stomach is more likely to get drunk because alcohol easily permeates through.
Several studies suggest that DNA also plays a huge part for people who do not get drunk and have a hangover. But they are more inclined to be alcohol dependent because they do not experience the downsides of consuming too much alcohol.
Headache, nausea, inflammation and dizziness are the common signs of a hangover. Alcohol is a diuretic which causes the body to dispel sodium and water through urinating. This leads to dehydration and increased blood pressure that leads to headache and sluggishness. Increased acid level on an empty stomach leads to inflamed stomach linings and nausea.
The most common cure is hydrating your body, either through water or an electrolyte drink. Several natural remedies like tea extract and fruit smoothies have been found to be most effective in easing headache and nausea.
If you want to have an extensive list of effective hangover cures, you can head on here.
The more you drink, the higher your blood alcohol level is. For an average person, 10 g of alcohol can break down in an hour. Even if you stop drinking, your blood alcohol concentration will increase as it enters the stomach and the bloodstream. The only thing needed to lower your BAC is time. Alcohol cannot be removed from the blood through vomiting or sweating.
Several studies suggest that drinking in moderation may be beneficial for the health but most researchers suggest otherwise. Conflicting analysis generates no definite solutions, but no matter the conclusion it is important to remind yourself that alcohol abuse will definitely affect your health condition. Alcohol is a toxic and addictive substance that can do permanent damage to your body if consumed frequently. From high blood pressure to liver problems, we’re sure you get the gist.
A heavy drinker is determined by the number of drinks consumed and whether they are a male or female. You are one if you drink 8 or more for female and 15 or more for male in a week.
If you want to know what number of drinks in a day should pass as safe level, then a single serving of alcohol should suffice. But according to a global study, alcohol is a leading determinant of health conditions worldwide and that “the safest level of drinking is none.”
Impairment of health condition seems to be the common trend on people who consume alcohol on the daily, especially on heavy drinkers. People develop high blood pressure, liver damage, and other heart-related diseases.
Non-colored alcohol will always be the better choice if you want to avoid a severe hangover. Dark liquors like red wine and whiskey contain high levels of congener which contribute to intense hangover symptoms.