5 Ways Alcohol Messes With Your Body
We all enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner or a cold beer after a long day. And like any of life’s delicious indulgences, I am all for the occasional “treat yourself” moment. But alcohol can be a slippery slope, and it’s important to understand exactly how drinking messes with your body and affects your nutrition. It doesn’t matter how many salads you’re eating if you’re going through a bottle of wine (or two) every weekend.
Read on to learn about the five major ways alcohol can inhibit your health and keep you from feeling your best.
#1 Alcohol Can Irritate Your Gut Lining
Research has shown that in large quantities, alcohol consumption irritates your gastrointestinal tract as well as your liver. It promotes inflammation in your intestines, which can cause leaky gut and other digestive issues, and it can also negatively affect the microbiome.
Over a long time, this can contribute to conditions such as dysbiosis, SIBO and h.pylori
#2 Alcohol Negatively Affects Your Hormones
Chronic alcohol consumption can also mess with your hormones. When you drink too much too often, alcohol begins to disrupt your endocrine system.
So when the endocrine system is disrupted, hormonal issues like period problems and weight gain can occur. It also weakens your immune system and makes you more likely to get sick.
In layman's terms, it throws your whole system out of whack.
#3 Alcohol May Contribute to Weight Gain
Many studies have found that excessive or even recreational alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain. In women, this usually occurs in the midsection area.
Between the hormonal disruptions, the high calories that come with your favorite beer or mixed adult beverage and the subsequent late-night snacks that follow, it’s no surprise that drinking too much can lead to weight gain.
#4 Alcohol Disrupts Sleep
Nobody in the history of the universe has ever had a good night’s sleep after a night out drinking. Alcohol disrupts your body’s natural circadian rhythm, which prevents you from experiencing the rest you need to function the next day.
Even if it makes it easier for you to doze off initially, alcohol can increase the probability that you’ll wake up throughout the night or at least not sleep as soundly as you should. The result? Feeling tired and lethargic the morning after a night out.
#5 Alcohol Increases Your Risk Of Disease
And finally, excessive alcohol consumption puts you at risk of many harmful and fatal diseases. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the long-term health risks include:
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Liver disease
Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon
Dementia
Depression
Anxiety
Alcohol use disorders and alcohol dependence
--
As you can see, long-term excessive alcohol consumption can have a big impact on your physical and mental health.
The CDC’s guidelines for moderate drinking are to enjoy no more than a drink a day.
And if you need any help finding alternatives, there are many new alcohol-free mocktails on the market now like Curious Elixirs, Seedlip, and Kin Euphorics. To find out more, click here to set up a free 1:1 nutrition consultation with me.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5513683/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4338356/
https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-2/101-109.htm
https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/45/1/89/121800
This information is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://www.sourceandsproutnutrition.com/disclaimer