alcohol and health

Goodbye booze. I’m not drinking for a month maybe longer. Why? How does alcohol affect our health? Unlike food consumption, which requires digestion, alcohol is absorbed extremely quickly, as our bodies make enzymes that break down alcohol before it even hits the digestive tract. That's why we can feel the effects fast. Once absorbed completely in the intestines, alcohol then travels via the bloodstream to the liver, activating primary detox enzyme pathways and cytochrome p450 enzymes, which prioritize getting the toxin (i.e., the alcohol) out of your body. This process creates stress on liver and therefore affects the detoxification of excess hormones and toxins. A healthy liver naturally cleanses itself it might not necessarily be functionally optimally if it’s constantly faced with dietary and environmental toxins these are also known as liver loaders. Symptoms of impaired liver function include headaches, acne and skin issues, difficulty loosing weight and fat, digestion issues and hormone imbalances. How else can alcohol affect your health? 💩Gut health It can impact your gut microbiome, the alcohol you're consuming is actually killing off some of your good gut bugs. This can create an opportunity for yeast to flare and may contribute to mood imbalances, as greater than 90% of our serotonin is made in the gut by probiotic bacteria. Do you think alcohol affects your mood the next day? 👶 Hormones and fertility Moderate alcohol intake was reported to be associated with a significant, but small, increased risk of ovulatory infertility and an increased risk of endometriosis. Alcohol can also change the way a woman's body metabolizes estrogen (how estrogen works in the body). This can cause blood estrogen levels to rise. 🧘‍♀️Estrogen levels are higher in women who drink alcohol than in non-drinkers. These higher estrogen levels may in turn, increase the risk of breast cancer. 🤯Stress hormones Researchers have found that alcohol consumption also increases the body's production of cortisol, not only while the person is drinking, but also later when the drinker is withdrawing from the effects of intoxication. In the short-term, cortisol can increase blood pressure, focus alertness and attention, but in the longer term can adversely impact body functions such as bone growth, digestion, reproduction, and wound repair. 🧏‍♀️ Alcohol and your skin When you drink your body tissues and skin are dehydrated, which cause premature aging of the skin. Dry skin is also a stepping stone to post-bingeing breakouts, I tend to breakout post drinking. The alcohol is also causing inflammation to bodily tissue, “releasing a histamine that dilates the blood’s capillaries, so that the net effect is redness of the skin.” 🥦 Alcohol depletes nutrients such as vitamin bs, magnesium, zinc and calcium. Next post is how to support your body and your liver if you had a few drinks. I’m looking forward to having a break from drinking.