How much alcohol intake can harm the liver?

Alcohol in any type and any quantity can be dangerous for the liver. Ladies are at more risk than men, even in less quantity. Binge drinking, weekend huge quantities of alcohol intake is also dangerous. Many youngsters are under the impression that occasional alcohol intake, even in large quantities, is not dangerous.

Many patients have fatty liver due to alcohol recovery after quitting alcohol.

Once the liver recovers, they believe that they can take alcohol. Liver gets further damaged and such a process continues. For sometime the liver recovers but one point comes where the liver does not recover - that's a dangerous time for the patient, point of no return for liver recovery.

Alcohol intake of more than 30 gm a day increases risk of liver damage significantly.
More than 80 grams of absolute alcohol would definitely lead to liver damage. Any type of alcohol can have the same effect on the liver.

How alcohol travels to various body parts and damages it

According to Dr. Punit Singla, Director & HOD-Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, Marengo Asia Hospitals Faridabad NCR, “When people drink alcohol, It may pass rapidly into their bloodstream and travel to vital parts of the body. It enters the stomach and thereafter goes to the intestines. So a good bit of alcohol is absorbed both in the stomach and as well as in the upper part of the small intestine. Hence the main effect of the alcohol, the reason for which people drink is because after it is absorbed, it goes by the bloodstream to the head or to the brain. That is where it produces most of its so-called pleasure and intoxicating effects so that is how the whole process goes on.”

“Brain gets affected by alcohol first, then other vital organs such as the liver, kidneys and lungs are also hit by it. The effect on your body relies on your age, gender, weight, the form and consumption quantity of alcohol. Alcohol is itself toxic. Consuming a little amount of alcohol may arouse your appetite as it increases the flow of stomach juices. A large amount of alcohol may dull your appetite leading to malnutrition,” he adds.

There is a good bit of variation in the speed with which the alcohol goes to the brain so if you are drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, it goes sooner to the brain so the effect is felt much more quickly and intensely. If you are taking alcohol after a full stomach, maybe after a meal or something, then usually the time lag is a little longer and action may be delayed and muted.

If you consume alcohol heavily for a long time, the cells of your brain start to shrink affecting your ability to think, learn, and remember things. It can also hamper body temperature and your movements. Excess use of alcohol can also cause irritation of the lining of the stomach, known as gastritis.

Video