There is no one answer to your question



POISON

Where does alcohol come from? What happens to it in our bodies? Where does...

There is no one answer to your question



POISON

Where does alcohol come from? What happens to it in our bodies? Where does it go? What effect does it have? Few of us give these questions a passing thought as we sip our wine, beer or spirits. As long as we enjoy the taste and it makes us feel good, the less we know, the better. Right?

That depends. If you're consuming more than six drinks a day, you probably should know what it's doing to your brain. Among other things, the areas affected are involved in reasoning and how thirsty you feel - alcoholics are thirstier than teetotallers for a reason!

Alcohol also causes cancer and heart disease, and it wreaks havoc on the liver. In fact, thousands of people die every year from cirrhosis and alcohol-related diseases.

The irony is, alcohol is legal, while other much less harmful drugs aren't.

Of course, not everyone who drinks has a drinking problem. But what of people who can't control their habit? Is their behavior genetic or learned? And is a little bit of alcohol better for you than none at all? Still want a drink?



1. The fall of the Roman Empire has been blamed on the consumption of alcohol!

Wine at the time was fermented and stored in vessels made of lead, and an additive was put in the wine to enhance the flavor and stop fermentation. The additive had a very high lead content, and it is believed that most of the Roman nobility who drank wine suffered from lead poisoning, of which mental instability is a symptom.

2. Alcohol in low and moderate doses causes a dilation of blood vessels in the skin.

This is why drinkers sometimes have a flushed face and heavy drinkers a red nose.

As well as causing the skin to turn pink, alcohol also makes the skin feel warm, which is why one of its traditional uses has been to treat people who have been exposed to the cold. Brandy especially is supposed to warm the body.

The fact is, alcohol has the opposite effect. This dilation of vessels actually causes heat loss from the extremities, which makes you more vulnerable to the cold. The vessels constrict in the first place to conserve heat, a defense the alcohol undoes.

3. A single dose of alcohol, if large enough, can be lethal.

A blood alcohol level of about 300-400 mg per 100 ml will usually cause loss of consciousness. However, highly tolerant individuals may show only moderate drunkenness at 400 mg per 100 ml.

Death by alcohol usually results from respiratory failure, because of alcohol's depressive effect on the respiratory centre. Alcohol, then, is a rather toxic substance with the lethal dose uncomfortably close to the usual social dose. Hence the expression "dead drunk".

Fortunately, alcohol has a built-in safety feature: we either vomit or pass out before we have a chance to kill ourselves. The trick is not to do the two things simultaneously, otherwise you risk doing the rock star thing of choking on your own vomit.

4. There are two broad categories of hangover.

One is really withdrawal. People who drink all the time build up a tolerance to alcohol. Symptoms occur when this amount is withdrawn. These are tremors, irritability, anxiety and heightened sensitivity to light, noise and pain. In severe cases, hallucinations, delirium and even convulsions may occur.

The other is the old fashioned hangover. Symptoms typically emerge when our BAL (Blood Alcohol Level) starts to drop. These intensify thereafter but have usually dissipated within 24 hours, provided we haven't had anything more to drink.

A number of mechanisms appear to be involved in hangover.

The "homeostatic rebound theory" is proposed to explain withdrawal and hangover. The body of an alcoholic adapts to having a certain amount of alcohol present more or less all the time. Withdrawal is what happens when they're deprived of alcohol, which their body now needs to function "normally". Conversely, the person with a hangover is not used to alcohol in their system. This means that when they stop drinking and their body returns to normal, they experience unpleasant symptoms.

Hangover may also be due to the congeners in drinks. These are the additional chemicals found in alcoholic beverages which are usually produced during the fermentation and distillation processes.

Another culprit implicated in hangovers is acetaldehyde. Alcohol is converted to this chemical by the enzyme dehydrogenase in the first step of alcohol metabolism. The conversion rate of alcohol to acetaldehyde is determined by the amount and activity of dehyrogenase a person produces. If acetaldehyde is not converted quickly, the levels of this toxic substance may rise and persist for longer in some people's systems.

Finally, your state of health when you drink is quite important in predicting the severity of hangover.

5. While it's clear that heavy drinking is very unhealthy, there is also evidence that light alcohol consumption can decrease the probability of death from ischaemic (loss of blood supply) heart disease. But there's a catch.

It depends on how old you are. For people under 35, any benefits are negligible, mainly because at that age, there's no heart disease to prevent. Also this age group is involved in the vast majority of car accidents caused by alcohol.

For people over 35, it's less straightforward. In light drinkers, there is less heart disease than in non-drinkers. However, there's more cancer. But the reduction in heart disease is much greater than the increase in cancer, so there does appear to be a net benefit.

6. Alcohol makes you sleepy, but it affects the kind of sleep you have.

By slowing the cortigal EEGs (the electrical activity of the cortex), alcohol suppresses REM or dreaming sleep so you sink into slow wave sleep instead. Often when the suppression of REM sleep ends (which usually coincides with diminished BAL), there is a "REM backlash", during which you spend more time than usual much later on in the night in dreaming sleep. This may explain why you feel irritable and a bit vague the next day.

7. Measuring Alcohol Levels in the Blood.

Alcohol in the blood circulates through the lungs and vaporizes into the air, so it's possible to measure the alcohol level in the blood and the rest of the body by measuring the alcohol vapor in exhaled air. The device that performs this test is known as the Breathalyzer.

8. Over 90% of all alcohol consumed moves from the blood to the liver where it's metabolized.

The remainder is either eliminated unchanged in breath, sweat, tears, urine and feces, or metabolized in the stomach.

The latter may account for the different effects of drinking between men and women. Men show significant amounts of alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomach linings (remember, the conversion rate of alcohol to acetaldehyde is determined by the amount of dehydrogenase available), which may explain why women, after drinking the same amount of alcohol, and allowing for differences in size, have a higher BAL than men.

9. What is the most popular alcohol.

Wine is the most popular alcoholic beverage with drinkers followed by regular beer.

10. Alcohol related mortality.

Alcohol is second only to tobacco as the major cause of drug related mortality. The most common alcohol related cause of death is cancer.

There's hardly a man who doesn't enjoy his drink, but few among them know what the happy elixir does to the body and the mind. This is not meant to turn you away from your brew, but to let you know what happens when you throw a few ones back.

Why does alcohol lower inhibitions?
Alcohol acts as a sedative on the central nervous system, which explains t...

There's hardly a man who doesn't enjoy his drink, but few among them know what the happy elixir does to the body and the mind. This is not meant to turn you away from your brew, but to let you know what happens when you throw a few ones back.

Why does alcohol lower inhibitions?
Alcohol acts as a sedative on the central nervous system, which explains the
out whether alcohol can kill you, why it makes you emotional and whether or not you can drink while taking antibiotics.

Can we develop a higher tolerance to alcohol?
Any fast-living college dude will tell you that it's getting more and more expensive for him to get drunk. No kidding. Prolonged alcohol use does increase your tolerance to the stuff. The body becomes more efficient at metabolizing the alcohol -- the process is up to 72% faster in alcoholics -- so it takes more booze to achieve the same drunken state. But beyond that, your organs simply become less sensitive to alcohol, so you don't feel it as much. Be careful; this is a precursor to permanent tissue damage.

Why do we sometimes get sick when drinking?
Like many of us, you've probably had an upset stomach or thrown up at one point after drinking. A byproduct of alcohol breakdown by the liver is acetaldehyde, a toxic substance. It is, in fact, this molecule that causes impairment, not the ethanol in your drink. In high concentrations, acetaldehyde attacks the liver, the brain and the lining of the stomach. This is what causes the familiar upset stomach and heartburn. If it's too much for the body to handle, it forces the stuff out, resulting in a make-out session with a toilet bowl. Acetaldehyde poisoning is compounded when different alcohols are mixed.

Is it bad to drink alcohol on an empty stomach?
It's bad only if you plan on enjoying your night to its fullest. When you drink on an empty stomach, there's no food to slow the absorption of the booze. Result: the alcohol gets absorbed faster (within five minutes) and you get intoxicated more rapidly. You'll get just as drunk as if your stomach was full, but it will hit you harder. On the other hand, drinking alcohol on a full stomach allows you to go through a gradual ascent into tipsiness.

Why do we get dehydrated from alcohol?
The body starts breaking down alcohol as soon as you take your first sip in order to safely excrete it. To properly dispose of it, your liver needs water to dilute the toxins, so it pulls water reserves from other parts of the body. But since alcohol is a diuretic (it stimulates urination), water leaves your body at a higher rate, so your liver must obtain water from other organs, including your brain, which essentially leaves you high and dry.

Find out whether alcohol can kill you, why it makes you emotional and whether or not you can drink while taking antibiotics

Can we die from drinking alcohol?
Yes, and in more ways than one. Conservative U.S. government estimates put the annual toll of alcohol-related deaths at over 75,000 in 2001. We're talking about a variety of conditions, including liver and heart disease caused by alcoholism, suicide, drunk driving, and just drinking yourself to death. In fact, a blood alcohol level above 0.45 grams/100 milliliters of blood will kill you either from brain malfunction or respiratory arrest.

Not only that, U.S. government estimates put the years of potential life lost due to drinking at 2.3 million in 2001; that's more than two million more years that Americans could have lived if they didn't drink.

What effect does alcohol have on the liver?
Your liver is your body's detox center, and it works full-time to rid your body of the poisons you ingest. Alcohol is one of the liver's biggest foes, constantly attacking its cells. If you drink moderately, your liver has enough time to repair itself. However, persistently high alcohol levels in the blood will cause your liver cells to die, forming scar tissue. This is called cirrhosis, and it can be lethal.

Why do some men become emotional when drinking alcohol?
You already know that alcohol dulls your judgment and your inhibitions. This may bring out some emotions that are usually kept in check by your "show no feelings" strongman persona. Although alcohol increases the female hormone estrogen in men, there is no evidence that this affects their emotions in any way. However, prolonged alcohol use and the related estrogen boosts can cause loss of body hair and muscle mass, enlarged breasts, shrunken testicles, and impotence in men.

How long does alcohol remain in the body?
There's no single answer for all people since the rate of alcohol metabolism varies and you have to factor in the rate at which it's absorbed. On average, healthy people eliminate alcohol at a rate of 0.5 ounces per hour. This can change according to how much you had to eat before, your body mass, your gender (men metabolize faster), your age, how hydrated you are, and how efficient your liver is (alcoholics tend to eliminate alcohol faster, though this changes once the liver becomes damaged).
Why does drinking red wine make our teeth red?
Like coffee, nicotine and some fruits, red wine has colored molecules that get deposited on the tooth enamel. The ones in red wine are called tannins and polyphenols, which are also antioxidants. Some dentures and treated teeth are especially susceptible to red wine stains, so ask your dentist about methods of prevention.

Why can't we drink while taking antibiotics?
Despite a widespread myth that combining antibiotics and alcohol can be dangerous, alcohol can only diminish the efficiency of a few antibiotics, namely metronidazole, cefamandole, and oral ketoconazole. Though not life-threatening, the mix can cause unpleasant side effects, like flushing and extreme drunkenness. Otherwise, alcohol can simply delay recovery.

However, mixing alcohol with certain painkillers, especially acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil) and acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin), can increase the risk of damage to the intestinal lining, which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. In chronic heavy drinkers, excessive acetaminophen use can increase the risk of liver toxicity.
booze it up safely

Now that you know some of the effects that alcohol has on your body, use the information for your own benefit. Have fun, but always drink responsibly.

Alcohol has a toxin called congeners, its a by product of the fermentation process and its what gives you that wonderful reality check the next day after drinking.
Some drinks contain a higher concentration of congeners which causes you to have a massive hangover with heightened nausea and achyness. Mixing drinks specifically ones with high concentrations of congeners is really bad. Mixing drinks generally darker drinks have congeners, while clear drinks like...

Alcohol has a toxin called congeners, its a by product of the fermentation process and its what gives you that wonderful reality check the next day after drinking.
Some drinks contain a higher concentration of congeners which causes you to have a massive hangover with heightened nausea and achyness. Mixing drinks specifically ones with high concentrations of congeners is really bad. Mixing drinks generally darker drinks have congeners, while clear drinks like vodka don't (which is why clear drinks like tequila patron, vodka, gin and so forth are your best bet if you want to get drunk but don't want to suffer the next morning from certain hangover symptoms. You can still get dehydrated but this is easily avoided.
We get drunk/high because our body is temporarily disabled by the foreign substance but when we fight the toxins we return to sober again.
Know the chain reactions.
he liver breaks down the alcohol you drink by an enzyme called "alcohol dehydrogenase" which creates the bi-product acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is much more toxic than the alcohol itself. But it doesn't stop there.. Once created the acetaldehyde like a foreign substance in the body is attacked by another enzyme called "acetaldehyde dehydrogenase" and glutathione, which has a lot of a substance called "cysteine".
Cysteine is attracted to acetaldehyde and when the two get together they bond and create another chemical this time that is non-toxic and is similar to the chemical make up of vinegar. This process helps to inhibit the acetaldehyde chemical from causing too much damage IF YOU ONLY HAVE A FEW DRINKS. If you drink more than that you make it harder for your body to fight it thus the acetaldehyde toxin reeks havoc on your body.
The problem comes in when you start to drink heavily because the liver starts to run short of the chemical glutathione, causing the acetaldehyde to build up in the body. The longer periods of time the acetaldehyde is in the body the more toxic it is to your system. Its like you have this defense chemical that neutralizes the toxin but if you drink too much your body can't fight it fast enough and it overwhelms your system and causes some bad things to happen. The acetaldehyde is not broken down due to the overwhelming amounts in the system (the enzyme can't handle the entire work load).
the alcohol in your drink inhibits the glutamine agent, one of your body's natural stimulants. When you stop drinking your body starts to create more glutamine than it needs to try to make up for lost time.
The added glutamine levels stimulate the brain while you relax and try to pass out. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach. This causes the lining of the stomach to become irritated. Alcohol stimulates Hydrochloric acid secretions which cause the nerves to send messages to the brain that the stomach is hurting the body!
There is a lot more chemistry going on, but I am nearly out of room.

I guess I can agree somewhat with the other three answers. But to put it all into simple terms it goes as following.

You drink, you're fine.

You drink some more you feel a little woosy.

...

I guess I can agree somewhat with the other three answers. But to put it all into simple terms it goes as following.

You drink, you're fine.

You drink some more you feel a little woosy.

You drink and now you're drunk and pass out somewhere.

You wake up and all you feel is pain.

This is because you're body is being drained from chemicals it needs since massive alcohol consumption drains those chemicals away. It doesn't take place during consumption or a little after, thats why later on you can get hang overs (bombed).

Of course you can avoid this by simply replenishing the lost chemicals that you're body is being drained of (or simply wait until they are replenished naturally).

it gets bombed because alcohol is converted to acetaldehyde which is like formaldehyde and then gets converted to water, but if you drink a lot in a short period of time the liver cant convert the acetaldehyde fast enough so it just sits there damaging organs in ur body.

Dehydration. Thats it.

if your saying wat i think you pass out becase your body is dying and it is your body s defense it allows your body to recuperate

To look at this question you need to describe bombed, but i assume you mean a hangover, or other undesirable feelings attributed to alcohol.

A hangover is a lack of water to the brain, the liver uses this water in the detoxification of alcohol. To prevent this drink lots of water, but of course enjoy the affects of alcohol, then again adhere to the advert, drink responsibly.
...

To look at this question you need to describe bombed, but i assume you mean a hangover, or other undesirable feelings attributed to alcohol.

A hangover is a lack of water to the brain, the liver uses this water in the detoxification of alcohol. To prevent this drink lots of water, but of course enjoy the affects of alcohol, then again adhere to the advert, drink responsibly.

But another reason you may get "bombed" is a lack of food, if you eat allot before drinking it absorbs the alcohol and the affects are reduced, allowing you to peak your alcohol affects without the nasties of headaches etc.

Alcohol is a drug and can play on you emotionally, this can be best cured by not drinking to much in to little time as the brain cannot cope and the emotional controls of the brain are incapacitated and decision making seems harder as the incapacitation of your brain takes over, due to lack of water.

Dan