Healthy Drinking

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Fermentation is used to produce many necessary items — everything from cheese to medications. Alcohol has different forms and can be used as a cleaner, an antiseptic or a sedative.

How does alcohol affect the body?

Alcohol is part of the way of life for most people. It can be enjoyable, it helps us to socialise and celebrate, but there is a downside.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing.

In very small amounts, alcohol can help a person feel more relaxed or less anxious. More alcohol causes greater changes in the brain, resulting in intoxication. People who have overused alcohol may stagger, lose their coordination, and slur their speech. They will probably be confused and disoriented. Depending on the person,
intoxication can make someone very friendly and talkative or very aggressive and angry. Reaction times are slowed dramatically — which is why people must not drink and drive.

What happens to alcohol when it enters the body?

When a person drinks an alcoholic drink, about 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and about 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestine. How fast the alcohol is absorbed depends upon several things such as the concentration of the alcohol and whether the stomach is full or empty of food.

After absorption, the alcohol enters the bloodstream and is carried throughout the body. The alcohol from the blood then enters and dissolves in the water inside each tissue of the body. Once inside the tissues, alcohol exerts its effects on the body.

What are hangovers?

Hangovers are caused by alcohol. The main problem is that the alcohol in your drink tends to make the water move out of the cells in your body and move into the blood. It is the loss of water from cells which cause the symptoms of hangovers such as headaches which is why drinking water is the best way to both prevent and treat a hangover.

Most alcoholic drinks contain additives which give them their flavour, colour and taste. These additives add to the hangover. Different drinks contain different levels of additives; vodka has very few additives, for example, while red wine, port and brandy have lots.

What are alcohol units?

The alcohol content of drinks is measured in units. One UK unit contains eight grams of pure alcohol. It's the strength and size of a drink that determines how many units it has. It's not as simple as one drink, one unit.

What about alcopops?

There are now many alcoholic lemonades and colas available in the UK. Many have an alcohol content which is stronger than most beers — some of them are very much stronger. As the sweetness of these drinks makes it difficult to taste and judge the alcoholic content, they provide an easy introduction to alcohol for young people.

What are the sensible drinking limits?

You can work out how much you drink, and stay within your limits, by counting up the units.

How can I work out my units?

Multiply the volume/amount of drink in milliltres by percentage ABV, then divide by 1000.

For example with a 175ml glass of wine at 13% ABV
175 (amount) X 13 (%ABV) = 2,275
Divided by 1000 = 2.275 ie 2.3 units

Now let's take 1 pint of strong lager at 8% ABV
1 pint (568ml) X 8 = 4544
Divided by 1000 = 4.544 ie 4.5 units

Did you know?

The human body produces its own supply of alcohol naturally on a continuous basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Men

If you drink less than three to four units a day, there will be no significant health risk. Consistently drinking four or more units a day is not advised. For men over 40, drinking one or two units of alcohol a day may even help prevent coronary heart disease.

Women

If you drink less than two or three units a day there will be no significant health risk.

Consistently drinking three or more units a day is not advised. For women who have been through the menopause, drinking one or two units of alcohol a day may even help prevent coronary heart disease. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, it’s best not to drink at all.

The following are sensible drinking guidelines for everyone

• Drink and think in units
• Keep a drinking diary — it will help you to understand your own drinking pattern
• Pace yourself — enjoy a drink slowly. You don’t have to join in with every round
• Try drinking low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks
• Not everyone drinks alcohol: it’s OK to say no
• Treat yourself — if you manage to keep to your limits!
• Have one or two alcohol-free days each week

What is alcohol abuse?

Alcohol abuse has been a rising problem over the past three decades. With the continued exposure to alcohol, the body's increased tolerance to alcohol involves the following changes:

• An increase in the level of liver enzymes that are used to break down alcohol
• An increase in the activity of the brain and nervous-system neurons

These bodily adaptations change a person's behavior.

The more alcohol that is drunk the more the liver enzymes increase. This means that the body becomes more efficient at eliminating the high levels of alcohol in the blood. However, it also means that the person must drink more alcohol to experience the same effects as before, which leads to more drinking and contributes to addiction.

What are the long-term effects of alcohol?

Drinking can cause serious damage and there are many adverse physical effects that result from long-term exposure to alcohol.

Your liver can only burn up one standard drink in one hour and if it has to cope with too much over a number of years it will become damaged.

• The increased activity in the liver causes cell death and hardening of the tissue (cirrhosis of the liver)
• The brain cells in various centres die, thereby reducing the total brain mass
• Stomach and intestinal ulcers can form because the constant alcohol use irritates and degrades the linings of these organs
• Blood pressure increases as the heart compensates for the initially reduced blood pressure caused by alcohol
• Male sex-cell (sperm) production decreases
• Poor nutrition decreases levels of iron and vitamin B, leading to anaemia
• Because alcoholics lose balance and fall more often, they suffer more often from bruises and broken bones; this is especially true as they get older

Finally, alcohol abuse and dependence cause emotional and social problems. Alcoholics can become anxious, depressed and even suicidal. The emotional and physical effects of alcohol can contribute to marital and family problems, including domestic violence, as well as work-related problems, such as excessive absences and poor performance.

3 EASY WAYS TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

• Enjoy alcohol in moderation
• Keep track of your alcohol intake
• Have one or two alcohol free days each week

Your Numark pharmacist can help you:

• understand the effects of alcohol
• understand alcohol abuse
• determine your alcohol intake
• understand what sensible drinking is

For further information on alcohol and health ask your Numark pharmacist for advice.

Where can you find more information?

Alcoholics Anonymous

50 Wellington Street, Glasgow G2 6HJ
Central services
T: 0141 226 2214
Helpline (24 hours) T: 0845 769 7555

NHS direct

Tel: 0845 4647 Web: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

This page last updated on 5th April 2009