Alcohol is one of the oldest known beverages in human history. According to research published in 2016, ancient Chinese civilizations knew how to produce alcohol nearly 5,000 years ago. Today, alcohol consumption is extremely common, especially in Western societies. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2.3 billion people worldwide consume alcohol, which is nearly one-third of the global population. In many Western countries, over 50 percent of adults drink alcohol regularly, and globally, alcohol is responsible for nearly 3 million deaths every year.
But how exactly does alcohol damage the human body? Does it provide any real benefit, or is it purely harmful? To understand this, we must first look at how alcohol is processed inside the body.
When alcohol is consumed, it enters the stomach and small intestine, where a portion of it is directly absorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining alcohol is metabolized primarily in the liver. This metabolic process begins when an enzyme called Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) converts alcohol into a toxic chemical known as acetaldehyde. Another enzyme, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH), then converts acetaldehyde into acetate, which is slightly less toxic and eventually removed from the body.
During this process, acetaldehyde and acetate can cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain. Because alcohol is both water- and fat-soluble, it can easily pass through cell membranes and affect nearly every organ in the body. Once alcohol reaches the brain, it begins to interfere with neurons, the cells responsible for transmitting signals.
Alcohol primarily targets areas of the brain responsible for judgment, decision-making, behavior, and self-control. This is why intoxicated individuals often speak without thinking, behave impulsively, or take dangerous risks. Driving under the influence is one of the deadliest consequences of this effect. In the United States alone, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired driving accidents in 2021, averaging 37 deaths per day—most of which were entirely preventable.
Another major impact of alcohol is on memory. Initially, alcohol creates feelings of pleasure and increased energy, but as these effects fade, the brain demands more alcohol. Repeated drinking disrupts the hippocampus, a critical brain structure responsible for forming long-term memories. When the hippocampus is impaired, the brain fails to store memories properly, leading to blackouts where individuals cannot recall events from the previous night.
Alcohol also severely disrupts sleep. While intoxicated individuals may believe they are sleeping deeply, alcohol-induced sleep is actually poor-quality “pseudo-sleep.” Normal sleep cycles—including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep—are disturbed. As a result, the person wakes up multiple times during the night without realizing it, leading to chronic fatigue and mental stress.
Long-term alcohol use also affects the body’s stress system. The hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands regulate stress hormones such as cortisol. Regular alcohol consumption disrupts this balance. When alcohol is withdrawn, cortisol levels spike, causing anxiety, restlessness, and emotional distress. This stress response pushes individuals to drink again, leading to dependency and addiction.
The liver is one of the most severely affected organs. Acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism, damages liver cells. Over time, this can lead to fatty liver disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and even liver failure. Additionally, alcohol destroys beneficial gut bacteria that support the immune system.
Alcohol is also a known carcinogen. Acetaldehyde damages DNA and interferes with hormone regulation and vitamin absorption. Vitamins normally help protect the body against cancer, but alcohol reduces their effectiveness. Studies show that women who consume three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15 percent higher risk of developing cancer compared to non-drinkers. Alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the liver, breast, mouth, throat, and digestive tract.
A common myth is that small amounts of alcohol are harmless or even beneficial, especially red wine. While alcohol does provide calories, these are known as “empty calories” with no nutritional value. Red wine contains a compound called resveratrol, which does have health benefits, but its concentration in wine is too low to outweigh alcohol’s harmful effects. Drinking more wine to gain resveratrol simply increases alcohol-related damage.
Many people eat food while drinking to reduce intoxication. Eating before drinking slows alcohol absorption by delaying metabolism, which can reduce rapid intoxication. However, eating after drinking provides little benefit. This does not eliminate alcohol’s harmful effects on the body.
From an Islamic perspective, alcohol was prohibited centuries ago in the Quran due to its destructive impact on individuals and society. Interestingly, modern science now confirms many of the harms that religious teachings warned against long ago.
Alcohol is not just a social drink—it is a substance that damages the brain, liver, hormones, immune system, and mental health. Understanding its effects allows individuals to make informed choices about their health and well-being.
— Published by Daily UpDown
FAQ SECTION
Q1: How does alcohol affect the brain?
Alcohol disrupts brain signaling, damages neurons, impairs judgment, memory, and decision-making, and increases accident risk.
Q2: Is any amount of alcohol safe?
Scientific evidence shows that even small amounts of alcohol can be harmful over time.
Q3: Why does alcohol cause memory loss?
Alcohol damages the hippocampus, preventing proper storage and retrieval of memories.
Q4: Does red wine have health benefits?
Red wine contains resveratrol, but its benefits are outweighed by alcohol’s harmful effects.
Q5: Why is alcohol addictive?
Alcohol disrupts stress hormones, creating dependency and withdrawal-related anxiety.