Alcohol is a hard drink which is found all around the world. Many people takes pleasure in taking alcohol excessively without knowing the implications of it. Moderate intake of alcohol causes harm to body whiles excessive intake causes an irreversible harm. Today we are going learn about alcohol intake and its effects on the health of an individual.

**What is Alcohol?**
The active ingredient in alcoholic beverages is called ethanol.
Generally referred to as "alcohol," ethanol is the substance that makes you drunk.
Ethanol is produced by yeasts when they digest sugar in certain carb rich foods, such as grapes (wine) or grains (beer).
Alcohol is the most popular recreational "drug" in the world. It can have very powerful effects on your mood and mental state. 
That is why some people behave someway when they get drunk because it has something to do with the brain. 
![300px-Common_alcoholic_beverages.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNTcfys2sGjUSC4zG2bGsoPqTBeie2rVSRJbk58Qp85Ri/300px-Common_alcoholic_beverages.jpg)
[Image source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drink)

The youth now a days are so much into alcohol. When they go to clubs or parties, they drink themselves up. Some also takes some shots to enable them eat more. Although it is not a good practice. 

**The liver**
The liver is one of most important organ in the body. It plays the major role in metabolism. Without the liver, we cannot survive.
One of its main functions is to neutralize all sorts of toxic substances we consume. For this reason, the liver is particularly vulnerable to damage by alcohol intake.
Liver diseases caused by alcohol consumption are collectively called alcoholic liver diseases.
The first of these to appear is fatty liver, characterized by increased fat inside liver cells. 
![liver autopsies.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmUCeT8Ev8uRXtGh99rqpHgsZJDbzT1xR9qqVxfAtNUfoA/liver%20autopsies.jpg)
[Image source](http://arceasociados.com/modules/com_akeeba/?alcohol-damage-to-liver-1079) 

**EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION**
1. Excessive intake of alcohol can damage the liver as explained earlier. It causes diseases relating to the liver such as *Steatosis, or fatty liver, Alcoholic hepatitis, Fibrosis, Cirrhosis*. 
When the liver stops functioning, it means all the toxins in the body will be remained in the blood which can lead to death. Note that damage of the liver is irreversible unless liver transplant which is also very costly. 

2. **Cancer**- due to high toxicity of alcohol it can lead to different cancers of the body. They include: cancers of the mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, breast. 
![7-types-of-cancer-caused-by-alcohol0.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSRZp7UBt8qjHMVFnnMNSWrpjnhKkvgqh3z23N7uY62Fj/7-types-of-cancer-caused-by-alcohol0.png)
[Image source](http://binsbox.com/post/7-types-of-cancer-caused-by-alcohol/) 

3. **Heart disease**- taking too much of alcohol for a long period also causes heart diseases. These are; 
*Cardiomyopathy – Stretching and drooping of heart muscle
*Arrhythmias – Irregular heart beat
*Stroke and 
*High blood pressure
![4-beer-and-cvd-defstandaloneweb-01.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbLyoyjRJo8vxo7nnK9TWYSFR332J26fFM2WAqJK63BeC/4-beer-and-cvd-defstandaloneweb-01.png)
[Image source](http://beerandhealth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/4-beer-and-cvd-defstandaloneweb-01.png) 

4. **Brain defects**- Alcohol has so many effects on the brain. Taking alcohol for so long causes difficulty in walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory: Clearly, alcohol affects the brain. Some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when drinking stops. On the other hand, a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety.
The rate at which alcohol affects the brain depends on how often the person drinks alcohol. 
![71e9bb80dcb8dcc45ceffeb7562af1de.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYeojsFZSUqvqZ14FDhU2J14ay9Qmw1JUE9Ynbkxe9g52/71e9bb80dcb8dcc45ceffeb7562af1de.jpg)
[Image source](https://www.google.com.gh/search?q=Effects+of+alcohol+on+the+brain&client=ms-opera-mini-android&dcr=0&biw=360&bih=512&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiSiq3q3r3YAhUkL8AKHaSmDT4Q_AUIBigB&biw=360&bih=512)

5. **Immunity**- the immune system plays a major role in the body preventing the body from diseases. Alcohol inhibits the the function of macrophages which attacks any invading organism. Alcohol makes the immune system of an individual compromised. Alcohol can also impact our immune system in a more indirect fashion by disrupting circadian rhythms. The interplay between our 24-hour sleep/wake cycle and biological processes known as circadian rhythms is a fascinating aspect of human biology. Hormones, immune function, and even blood sugar control are all influenced by circadian rhythms.
![The-Effect-Of-Alcohol-Abuse-On-The-Immune-System-01.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQman1s2aY8EwTLA7kQ4Ki6uEJwEVEQNchBsfMeJchPCid6/The-Effect-Of-Alcohol-Abuse-On-The-Immune-System-01.png)
[Image source](https://www.alcoholtreatment.net/the-effect-of-alcohol-abuse-on-the-immune-system/)

**Summary**
Too much consumption of Alcohol in the body will cause more harm than good to your body. Don't drink a lot
![Alcohol-and-Your-Health.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmU3DF3e6QUgheThK4o1pPKJmN15YtfnAwFyd3bpVHAhvg/Alcohol-and-Your-Health.jpg)
[Image source](https://www.alcoholtreatment.net/the-effect-of-alcohol-abuse-on-the-immune-system/)

**Note: DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE**

Thanks for reading 
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