The Effects Of Alcohol In The Body (INFOGRAPHIC)

[slimvictor]

Most of us know that drinking too much can lead to car accidents, addictions or worse. We know drinking a little can make us giggly or weepy, lose our balance or lose our lunch, feel ravenously hungry the morning after or want nothing more than to be still in a dark room until that terrible pounding subsides.

But few of us know much more than the above, especially when it comes to what's actually going on inside the body to create these reactions.

In fact, alcohol, even in the smallest doses, affects nearly every system in the body, from the brain to circulation to immunity. And while at low to moderate doses, alcohol does seem to provide certain health benefits -- including a longer life and a healthier heart -- at higher doses, drinking carries with it the risk for long-term effects and permanent damage.


cont at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/alcohol-effects-body-infographic_n_2333328.html
but also check out the infographic, which includes info such as:

The liver is responsible for breaking down most of the alcohol (now in the form of acetaldehyde) in the second stage of metabolism. Here, the second class of enzymes converts the toxic acetaldehyde into harmless acetate, which is close in chemical makeup to vinegar.

The liver can only metabolize a certain amount of alcohol per hour, no matter how much you've actually had. So why does it seem like some people can drink more than others? This rate varies between individuals, and is also affected by gender and how much you've had to eat that day. Plus, certain groups of people seem to have particularly low-functioning enzymes or lack the enzymes altogether, inhibiting the completion of this second phase of alcohol metabolism (this is commonly seen in the Asian population). When this happens, acetaldehyde accumulates, causing symptoms like rapid pulse, sweating, flushing, nausea and vomiting.

 

[lynx2051]

Interesting.

 

[panic in paradise]

One of the most overlooked aspects to alcohol affects on the body is the role it plays in manipulating the Glycemic Index, alcohol, especially beer, causes the blood-sugar to rise and then crash: Hypoglycemia. While this is occurring, what might feel like the craving for another beer, will instead be the craving for more carbohydrates; and a 'vicious cycle' begins. When blood-sugar is in hypoglycemic levels, the brain and body receives adrenaline rather then carbohydrates, and a sober person having a hypoglycemic attack can easily appear intoxicated or psychotic.