The Impact of Nightly Hard Liquor Consumption on the Human Body
A Shift in Perspective: Alcohol Consumption and Its Impact on Health
The role of alcohol in a healthy lifestyle is increasingly being questioned, with multiple health organizations and scientific studies highlighting its negative effects on the body.
- Liver Disease: Alcohol use is a major preventable risk factor for liver cirrhosis, a severe and often fatal liver condition. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that alcohol contributes significantly to liver cirrhosis and related deaths worldwide, particularly in the European region where consumption is high.
- Obesity: While the exact link between alcohol and obesity is not yet fully understood, alcohol contributes to excess calorie intake and metabolic disturbances that can promote weight gain and obesity, which are themselves risk factors for further health issues including cancer.
- Cancer Risk: There is convincing and strong evidence confirming that alcohol consumption increases the risk of multiple cancers. These include cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colorectum, and breast. Alcohol is identified as a major modifiable risk factor for cancer globally, responsible for millions of cases and deaths annually, with higher incidence in men.
The perception that moderate drinking is beneficial has shifted, with growing consensus that any amount of alcohol can increase cancer risk and have other negative health effects. This is increasingly recognized by the public, especially younger adults, and professionals.
Alcohol also interacts with mental health, increasing alcohol-related problems among individuals with PTSD, and highlighting broader negative social and health impacts.
The WHO and other bodies stress the importance of policies to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms due to their substantial contributions to premature death and disability worldwide.
In summary, authoritative health organizations and recent scientific reports firmly establish that alcohol consumption harms health by causing liver disease, promoting obesity-related risks, and significantly increasing the risk of various cancers. Efforts to reduce consumption and raise awareness of these risks are key global public health priorities.
References:
[1] World Health Organization. (2018). Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015729
[2] World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research. (2018). Continuous update project report: alcohol drinking and cancer. Retrieved from https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/research-we-fund/continuous-update-project-report-alcohol-drinking-and-cancer
[3] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2017). Rethinking drinking: Alcohol's impact on your health. Retrieved from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/brochures-and-fact-sheets
[4] National Center for PTSD. (2018). Alcohol and PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/alcohol-ptsd.asp
- Scientific studies and health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), suggest that alcohol can negatively impact mental health, particularly among individuals with PTSD, making therapies and treatments for mental health more essential.
- As nutrition plays a crucial role in overall health, reducing alcohol consumption can contribute significantly to better health outcomes, by lowering the risk of liver disease, promoting healthier weight management, and decreasing the risk of various cancers, as highlighted in numerous scientific reports and global health organizations' recommendations.
