Alcohol is poison even in not large quantities... Unfortunately, the celebrations don't go without drinking alcoholic beverages... People believe that no event, be it New Year or birthday, you can not celebrate without alcohol. Even the usual purchase of any thing is not complete without his participation. What can we say about the fact that outdoor recreation is not perceived by most people, if not accompanied by barbecue and strong drinks. All this reveals the most dangerous side of alcohol: its psychological impact on the minds of the population. The general use of alcohol does not allow people to understand that this product is, in fact, a poison that slowly kills, disabling all organs in turn.

The text of GOST indicates that ethyl alcohol is a narcotic drug with a strong effect, which initially leads to excitement, and then to paralysis of the nerves.

Absolutely all alcoholic beverages contain ethyl. Its presence in the composition of the product explains the narcotic effect that a person has.

Ethyl has a detrimental effect on the permeability of cell walls. This explains Negative influence to health. By interacting with lipids and causing them damage, alcohol prevents the penetration of a number of vital enzymes and substances into cells. Flaw nutrients leads to malfunctioning of cells, which, in turn, negatively affects the organ that consists of them.

At the same time, alcohol increases the penetrating properties of the blood-brain barrier, creating favorable conditions for the penetration of various substances into the brain from the blood. These substances include both alcohol itself and the products of its incomplete decomposition, characterized by toxic properties.

Interacting with various amino acids, ethanol forms esters. Because of this human body loses a certain proportion of building material, protein synthesis is partially suspended.

One of the properties of ethyl is active interaction with water. Alcohol, when entering the body, actively binds water molecules, dehydrating tissues and cells, and disrupts metabolism.

Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance that surpasses the negative effect of alcohol in its performance. It is formed by the decomposition of alcohol in the liver. Acetaldehyde, penetrating through the walls of blood vessels, interacts with hormones. In this case, psychotropic compounds are formed. It is they that cause the euphoria so characteristic of intoxication. However, when doses are exceeded, it is replaced by psychosis.

When alcohol enters the body, an immediate toxic effect is triggered. An hour later, the blood is already saturated with poison. With the bloodstream, the poison will enter the organs. The maximum doses of alcohol are concentrated in the brain, slightly less is delivered to the liver and kidneys. Only up to 9% of the generally accepted volume of ethanol can be excreted by the body in an unchanged state. All the rest of the alcohol will be involved in metabolic processes, which will entail poisoning with its decay products.

Negative influence

Absolutely all organs are affected.

Most sensitive to alcohol:

• nerves;
• stomach and intestines;
• heart and blood vessels.

Once in the body, ethanol primarily affects the cells of the stomach. After processing and absorption, alcohol enters the bloodstream, and then, with its current, into all other organs.

Alcohol has a certain negative effect on each organ. The poison, entering the body, makes a certain path.

Stomach and intestines

To enter the bloodstream, alcohol does not need any specific enzymes, nor does it need digestive juices. It penetrates unchanged through the walls of the stomach and enters the bloodstream. In some quantities, with the bloodstream, alcohol enters the liver, where it is processed. However, most of it goes to other vital organs and harms them. The rate of intoxication of a person depends on the speed of penetration of alcohol into the blood.

Alcohol is absorbed in the intestines much faster than in the stomach. It is believed that if you accompany the consumption of alcohol with a meal, the effects of alcohol will not be so harmful to the body. This is actually a myth. In the stomach, alcohol, mixed with food, remains on long time, until complete breakdown of the products and before their further entry into the intestines. The drunk alcohol does not disappear anywhere and is not excreted from the body. In the intestines, it begins to be absorbed and enters the bloodstream.

The poison, acting on the gastrointestinal mucosa, causes its swelling. If you consume alcoholic beverages for a long time, even in small quantities, the occurrence of mucosal atrophy, gastritis, duodenitis is likely. In addition, diarrhea becomes a constant companion of a person who uses alcohol. It is caused by increased intestinal peristalsis.

When alcohol enters the pancreas, its tissues are affected, pancreatitis develops. In inflammatory processes in the gland, the production of insulin is significantly impaired.

Most of the absorbed ethanol goes to the liver for neutralization and recycling. Liver cells that are actively involved in the decomposition of alcohol do not cope with their main task. For this reason, hepatocytes accumulate lipids and, after a certain period, are reborn into fat cells. This pathology leads to cirrhosis and fatty degeneration.

Vessels and heart

The poison, penetrating into the blood, provokes agglutination and disrupts hematopoiesis. If the binge lasts long time, the composition of the blood changes significantly. In this case, erythrocytes cease to cope with their main function - the transfer of oxygen, hypoxia occurs. First of all, the brain suffers from oxygen starvation, but the work of other organs also deteriorates significantly.

In chronic alcoholism, the following changes in the composition of the blood are observed:

1. The number of leukocytes decreases, since their formation is suppressed;
2. Granulocytes are inactive.

All this leads to a decrease in the body's defense reaction to antigens. Immunity weakens, a person becomes susceptible to all kinds of infections.

When ethyl enters the heart, it lowers blood pressure, reduces the contractility of the heart muscle. In this case, an accelerated heartbeat is observed, which provokes an increase in oxygen consumption, the transfer of which, in turn, is extremely difficult.

At constant use alcohol in small quantities, the pressure rises, hypertension occurs. If alcohol is taken in large quantities, then cardiomyopathy is formed. It is characterized by arrhythmia, heart failure, decreased functions of the left ventricle.

During the day after drinking a large dose of alcoholic beverages, there is a risk of cerebral circulation disorders. The poison causes blood clots to form, which increases the risk of strokes.

Other organs

The nervous system is sensitive to alcohol. The poison causes excitation in neurons. With prolonged ethyl poisoning, a weakening of the excitation processes is observed. Respiratory center, cerebral cortex are inhibited. A pronounced narcotic effect can be observed in persons who often abuse alcoholic beverages.

Penetrating into the reproductive system, alcohol disrupts the formation of germ cells. If alcohol affects the fetus, then the likelihood of congenital diseases and deformities is high. A lactating woman who drinks alcohol contributes to the formation of developmental defects in her child.

Acetaldehyde, a breakdown product of ethanol, is capable of damaging DNA, which can cause neoplasm growth. The carcinogenic effect is also observed when taking very small volumes of alcohol.

Poison even in small quantities

Depending on the doses of alcohol consumed, only the severity of the symptoms differs, but they are present in any case. The narcotic effect is noticeable with the use of any amount of alcohol:

Up to 1.4 ppm

• euphoria;
• impaired attention;
• deterioration in coordination;
• redness of the skin;
• increased heart rate;
• increased salivation.

Up to 2.4 ppm

• lowering of thought processes;
• fuzzy speech;
• decreased attention;
• increased aggressiveness;
• weakening of sensitivity;
• unsteadiness of gait;
• pallor of the skin;
• vomiting reflex.

Up to 4 ppm

• loss of consciousness with a complete lack of response to pain;
• constriction of the pupils;
• death is possible.

After poisoning, there is a deterioration in general well-being, a disorder of the body systems.

Ilya Shevelev

The paper presents the results of a literature study and experimental studies of the harm of ethanol to the human body. The material is presented scientifically, but at the same time emotionally, with interesting terrifying facts about the harm of ethanol to every cell of life. Conclusions were drawn and a poster "Ethanol is a deadly poison!"

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Research work of Ilya Shevelev,

a pupil of the 11th grade of the Vilegodskaya Secondary School.

Head - teacher of chemistry T.A. Nepeina

The topic "Is ethanol a poison?"

1. Introduction

Ethanol is a drug! Ethanol is poison! " - these frightening exclamations from the means are constantly heard mass media... But, despite the widespread propaganda of the harm of alcohol to humans, a large number of people ignore the warnings: they continue to get temporary pleasure. Maybe ethanol isn't poison? Maybe there are a lot of benefits from drinking alcohol: fun, ease of communication, new acquaintances and connections? .. And what is its "toxicity"? I decided to conduct a study on ethanol in order to identify the causes of toxicity and draw conclusions about whether it is harmful to the human body.

Relevance : proof harmful influence ethanol on the human body, as one of the ways to prevent alcoholism, currently remains relevant.It is terrible that 95% of the Russian population has a positive attitude towards alcohol, i.e. allows for a certain amount and quality of alcohol in a specific situation (New Year, birthday, wedding, etc.).

Problem: how to prove the toxic effects of ethanol on the human body?

Topic: "Is ethanol a poison?"

Subject of study:ethanol and its harmful effect on cells, internal organs of a living organism.

Object of study:toxic substances.

Purpose of work: identifying the causes of toxicity and predicting the effects of ethanol exposure on the human body.

Work tasks:

* find in information sources and analyze data on the causes of the toxic effects of ethanol on the human body, on the consequences of this effect;

* to conduct a survey of schoolchildren and the public to test knowledge of harm and causes negative impact ethanol on the human body;

* to select a technique and investigate the peculiarities of the properties and the toxic effect of alcohol on the molecules of proteins, enzymes, on the organs of a living organism;

* formulate and draw conclusions about the toxic effect of ethanol on different levels organization of living, bring them to the population and schoolchildren.

Hypothesis: Suppose that ethanol is a poison, which means that it is possible to experimentally prove its toxicity and save at least a few people from the influence of this poison.

Research methods:literature analysis, testing, study of ethanol and its effect on cells, organs and organ systems according to the methods proposed by graduate student A.I. Plakhov (Bryansk State University them. I.G. Petrovsky), work with Internet resources.

Analysis of the literature on the topic.Burykin M.Yu. and Sazonov S.N. in the book "Dependent Behavior. Reasons, mechanisms, ways of overcoming ”. Here is also given the concept of poisons, about special properties ah ethanol and its effect on the cells of the human body. The structure of ethanol and its physicochemical properties are well reviewed in the Applicant's Guide (by O.O. Maksimenko). In the book of S.A. Kutsenko. "Fundamentals of toxicology" gives the concept of toxicity and considers the chemistry of the interaction of a toxicant and a biological object at the molecular level. Methods for studying ethanol and its effect on cells and organs, we could find on the Internet sites.

The population and schoolchildren were tested on the knowledge of the harm of ethanol and the reasons for the negative impact on the human body. It turned out that the majority of respondents are aware of the dangers and narcotic effects of ethanol, but do not know the reasons for its toxicity (Appendix 1).

2.The main part

Section 1

Chapter 1. Ethanol toxicity mechanisms

Poison (according to Dahl's dictionary) is any substance, murderous or harmful.Poisons include alcohol, nicotine, heroin and others. The supreme body of world medicine, the World Health Organization (WHO), at its 28th session, decided to consider alcohol and nicotine as potent drugs, included in the first group of complexity in terms of easy accessibility for the population and a relatively low price.

Poisons are chemical substances with toxicity, due to which their contact with biological systems can have detrimental effects on the body.

Toxicity (according to Ushakov) - the ability of certain chemical compounds and substances to have a harmful effect on the human body, animals and plants.

The direct toxic effect of ethanol is based on its ability to have membranotropic and conformational effects, as well as on the ability to directly interact with fatty acids.

The membrane effect of ethanol is determined by its effect on biological membranes. Taking ethanol in different types, we dissolve the fatty base of the membranes of thousands of cells in our body, destroying them. This type of cell destruction is called protoplasmic.

The conformational effect is expressed in the ability of ethanol to directly influence the conformation of protein molecules, disrupting their ability to function.

The indirect toxic effect of ethanol is manifested in its action on erythrocytes, which stick together to form a blood clot. The thrombus blocks the capillary, depriving the cell of oxygen. First of all, the most sensitive cells of our body - nerve cells - die from oxygen starvation. This type of cell destruction is called neurotropic.

The indirect toxic effect of ethanol is also associated with an increase in energy inputs, which contribute to an increase in body weight, with the systematic use of alcohol in small doses.

When alcohol is consumed in large quantities, the intake of substances is significantly reduced, which leads to the development of nutritional deficiency. Ethanol entering the body is almost completely biotransformed: it is oxidized to acetaldehyde in the liver with the formation of carbon dioxide and water. Acetaldehyde is 30 times more toxic than ethanol. It interacts with many proteins, after which they are no longer able to perform their functions.

The proof that acetaldehyde is formed in the alcoholic's body, which has a pungent odor, is interesting information on this topic. The forensic expert often has to give an opinion on the condition alcoholic intoxication discovered corpse. According to the instructions, the conclusion is given as follows: sharp breath - drank no more than two hours ago; smell from an opened stomach - no more than 4 hours; the smell from the opened large intestine - no more than 16 hours; smell from an opened skull - no more than 28 days.

When acetaldehyde is oxidized, acetic acid enhancing synthesis fatty acids, which leads to fatty degeneration of the liver. In tissues and organs, acetaldehyde is able to form substances psychotropic action, cause mutations and various deformities in embryos.

According to research, an hour after taking 100 grams of alcohol, a man changes 30% of the genetic structure of his DNA. Imagine the health of a conceived child - a mutant after a merry drunken wedding, for which "there was not enough space and land." Moreover, it is almost impossible to change and correct the inherent distortions in the future of this child. It looks like a skyscraper under construction on a rotten foundation. Conception of a healthy child is possible only if parents exclude alcohol for at least 2 - 3 years (Appendix 2).

Ethanol is a neurotropic, protoplasmic poison that affects all human organs, destroying their structures at the cellular and molecular levels.

Chapter 2. Effect of ethanol on organs and systems of human organs

The organ that distinguishes us from the rest of the animal world is the human brain. 18 billion nerve cells connected by tens of kilometers of nerve tissue. The brain concentrates in itself30% of all alcohol consumed by a person is in the cerebellum and frontal lobes. Hence, in a person containing ethanol, there is a violation of the coordination of movement and speech, irresponsibility and immoral behavior. Ethanol, getting into the brain, is stored there for a long time - up to 28 days. I drank two glasses of vodka a month and consider that I lived with a blocked mind. And if 18 billion nerve cells are practically impossible to drink on drink, then 900 million is quite real, before life on reflexes. As a result, a person degrades as a rational being.

In medicine, there is such a term: "shriveled brain." Here is a description of the cerebral cortex of a deceased "merry fellow" and "joker, who, according to friends and even a doctor, drank" culturally ": Under the microscope, voids filled with serous fluid are visible. The patient only seemed to be a carefree humorist, a merry fellow, but he was also feeble-minded, because such a defeat of the frontal lobes by alcohol could not but affect his intellect. "

Under the influence of ethanol, heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular failure, cardiac arrest are caused.

Ethanol acts on nervous system: destroys the membranes of neurons, accumulates inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain.

Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are manifested by acute pain in the stomach and diarrhea. Pain in the stomach area is caused by damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestine. Diarrhea is the result of impaired absorption of water and electrolytes from the small intestine.

The liver cells die under the influence of ethanol, and a scar of connective tissue forms in their place, which does not perform the functions of the liver. The liver's ability to store vitamin A decreases, and other metabolic disorders are observed.

A lethal dose of ethanol with a single dose is from 4 to 12 g / kg of body weight (on average, 300 ml of 96% ethanol in the absence of tolerance to it).

Ethanol is poison! The consequences of prolonged exposure to ethanol are the disruption of the activity of all organs and, in general, the destruction of the human body, leading to death.

Chapter 3. Causes of the toxic effect of ethanol

As a result of analysis of literature sources and chemical knowledge, a number of reasons for the toxicity of ethanol can be identified.

First, ethanol's toxicity is related to its structure. Chemical formula- C 2 H 5 OH. It is a complex substance with weakly polar covalent bonds. Ethyl alcohol molecules are small (relative molecular weight 18) and dissolve well both in water (due to the presence of hydroxyl groups) and in fats (due to the presence of non-polar hydrocarbon radicals). Solubility in water and the liquid state of ethanol is explained by the ability of alcohol molecules to give each other and with water molecules special hydrogen bonds (bonds between positively polarized hydrogen atoms of water or alcohol with negatively polarized oxygen atoms of water or alcohol).

Second, the toxicity of ethanol is related to the chemical properties of ethanol. Ethanol is readily oxidized to aldehyde and carboxylic acid. Ethanol enters into esterification reactions with high molecular weight carboxylic acids with the formation of esters.

Thirdly, the appearance of special properties of ethanol (alcohol) in the body: reflex - a protective reaction of the body against the effects of ethanol from immune system, i.e. its rejection in the form of vomiting and a decrease in the concentration of alcohol through salivation (perceived alcohol drinkers as a reflex of increased appetite).

Toxic property - destruction of the body and poisoning by the decay products of ethanol. Narcotic property - ethanol is included in the body's metabolism, i.e. dependence of the body on artificial hormones of pleasure as analogs of its own endomorphins. However, our body is a self-regulating system, when there is a lot of something, its production stops. Since exogenous alcohol is excreted from the body, there comes a time when there are no own endomorphins yet, and there are no external ones. This condition is called a hangover. And then be patient until your pleasure hormones begin to be produced, or add more alcohol, which leads to alcohol drug addiction.

Mutagenic property - violation of the genetic code, the state of DNA, destruction of the most evolutionarily perfect fragments of the human structure (Appendix 3).

Section 2

Chapter 1. Research on ethanol and its effects on cells,

organs and organ systems

I conducted a study of ethanol and its effect on cells, organs and organ systems according to the methods proposed by graduate student A.I. Plakhov (Bryansk State University named after I.G. Petrovsky).

Study physical properties ethanol:

Colour identified visually in a test tube on a white background.

Ethanol is a colorless liquid.

Smell determined organoleptically.

Ethanol has a peculiar smell.

Solubility: to 10 ml of water tinted with blue paint (beaker No. 1) and 10 ml vegetable oil yellowish color (liquid fat in glass No. 2) added the same amount of alcohol. The contents of glasses No. 1 and No. 2 are evenly colored.

Output: ethanol is a colorless liquid with a peculiar odor that dissolves well in water and dissolves fats.

Study of the effect of ethanol on cells, organs and organ systems:

Experience 1. Effect of ethanol on salivary enzyme activity

In three numbered test tubes, he poured 2 ml of saliva solution (diluted 1: 1, containing the enzyme amylase), added 2 ml of liquid starch paste... I added brown to all tubes alcohol solution iodine. The contents of the test tube No. 2 were heated to a temperature of 37 -39 degrees, and ethanol was added to the test tube No. 3. Observed blue staining in test tube No. 1 and partial blue discoloration in test tube No. 3.

Conclusions: amylase is inactive at room temperature (starch is present in test tube No. 1), in the second test tube, when heated, amylase promoted the breakdown of starch, so no changes were observed. Partial blue discoloration in the third test tube indicates a decrease in the enzyme activity under the influence of alcohol.

Experience 2. Effects of ethanol on the liver

I poured 5 ml of ethanol into a test tube and dipped a piece of fresh chicken liver... After 3 minutes, I observed a change in color darkly - Brown color liver to white.

Output: ethanol destroys red blood cells and liver tissue cells (burns, welds).

Experience 3. Effects of ethanol on the cardiovascular system

Poured into a test tube 2 ml of potassium dichromate acidified with two drops of sulfuric acid, added the same amount of ethanol to it. I put a piece in it chicken heart... After 5 minutes, I observed a change in the color of the heart tissue, the appearance of a pungent odor.

Output: ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde and destroys the elastic structure of the heart muscle.

Experience 4. Effects of ethanol on the reproductive system

I poured 4 ml of chicken protein solution into 3 test tubes(it is known that the cytoplasm of germ cells contains a significant amount of protein)... The test tube No. 1 was left for control, the test tube No. 2 was heated to boiling, ethanol was added to the test tube No. 3. White precipitates appeared in test tubes 2 and 3. Then, in all three test tubes, he added 3 ml of a 10% sodium hydroxide solution and 3 drops of a 1% solution of copper (II) sulfate (biuret reaction to protein). Observed the appearance of a purple color only in test tube No. 1.

Output: ethanol, like heat, breaks down protein.

Experience 5. Effects of ethanol on the stomach

I poured ethanol into two glasses equally, and added a little table salt to glass No. 2. He dipped a piece of chicken stomach into each test tube. After 5 minutes, I observed a change in the color of pinkish muscle fibers to white in both glasses, and in glass No. 2, micro ulcers also appeared on the tissues of the stomach.

Output: ethanol destroys the fibers of the stomach (protein denaturation occurs). Salt reinforces this process (Appendix 4).

Experimentally, I proved that ethanol destroys the contents of cells, tissues, organs and the living organism as a whole.

3. Conclusion

As a result of analyzing sources of information, I learned about the causes of ethanol toxicity. Due to its special structure (hydrophilic hydroxyl group and lipophilic radical, polarity of bonds), ethanol has physical (low mass, solubility in water and fats) and chemical (oxidation, esterification reactions) properties that promote the rapid penetration of alcohol into all cells, interaction with substances contained in the cytoplasm of cells and intercellular substance.

Experimentally, I have confirmed the theoretical data on the toxicity of ethanol. Ethanol destroys proteins, fats, erythrocytes, enzymes, germ cells, and organ tissues important for the normal functioning of the body. Possesses toxicity, due to which ethanol has detrimental effects on the body. Thus, I proved that ethanol is a neurotropic, protoplasmic poison that affects cell substances and all human organs, destroying their structures at the cellular and molecular levels.

I created the poster "Ethanol - Deadly Poison!" and posted copies of it in public places in our village. Ethanol has been proven to be harmful. If you want to live happily ever after, stop taking this poison internally! Drink or not drink, live or exist - the choice is yours! (Appendix 5)

Determining the causes of ethanol toxicity has proven to be very interesting and rewarding. This is evidenced by the reviews of teachers and schoolchildren about my work. There are many more questions related to alcoholism that I would like to find answers to.

And he continues to live, he loses his reason, because when the brain is inactive, the source of thought dries up.

In ancient times, as you know, drunkenness was fought not only by legislative means. Roman poets also contributed a lot to this. For example, Propertius, who lived in the 1st century BC. e., is expressed very strictly: "Oh, cursed be the one who first squeezed out of the bunch of grapes and who poured seductive nectar into the clean water!"

There is, perhaps, no such organ in the human body, on which alcohol would not act in a destructive way. Alcoholics seriously disrupt the activity of the brain, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, and upset metabolism.

Why is Bacchus portrayed as obese and effeminate? It turns out that the god of wine paid for this with infirmity.

Since it dissolves easily in water, it is immediately absorbed by the digestive tract and carried throughout the body with the blood. The penetration of alcohol into the bloodstream can be slowed down if there is food in the stomach. But even under exactly the same conditions, in some people alcohol quickly penetrates into the circulatory system, while in others it slowly. This difference is to some extent due to heredity.

When alcohol spreads to all tissues of the body, the body begins to eliminate it in various ways. ... The same thing happens in the kidneys. Only 10 percent of alcohol is excreted by the respiratory system, as well as in the urine.

In the human body, alcohol is oxidized by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (other enzymes, such as catalase, are also involved in this process) and turns into acetaldehyde. This process takes place mainly in the liver. And the effect of acetaldehyde on the body is extremely unfavorable and is usually accompanied by vomiting, dizziness.

Deeper, research by scientists from the Institute of Higher nervous activity and neurophysiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. With the help of an electron microscope, they managed to see the affected nerve cells of the brain, to find out the mechanism of diseases of the central nervous system caused by alcohol poisoning.

As you know, after taking alcohol, a person not only loses the ability to think logically, but after sobering up he cannot even remember what happened to him yesterday. This effect has long been known to scientists, only its reasons remained unclear. The studies carried out at the molecular level have explained this phenomenon.

With the help of an electron microscope, one can see that the capillaries of the brain are surrounded by intermediate cells - astrocytes, which are, as it were, a connecting link between the capillaries and nerve cells. When alcohol enters the bloodstream, dehydration begins in the capillaries. The outflow of fluid into astrocytes causes their edema, which causes increased intracranial pressure. Hence the headaches the day after taking alcohol.

Since the capillaries supply oxygen to the tissues, their dehydration, which occurs when alcohol poisoning, causes hypoxia - oxygen starvation. As a result, a person experiences pale skin and chills. The hops pass, and the alcoholic begins to be tormented by thirst - a consequence of the hangover syndrome associated with dehydration of the blood. With chronic use of alcohol in the nerve cells of the body, pigment accumulates, characteristic of old age.

When it comes to the effect of alcohol on the internal organs, first of all they remember about its toxic effect on the liver. Statistics, in particular, testify: in people who abuse alcoholic beverages, cirrhosis of the liver occurs 7 times more often than in non-drinkers.

It is not for nothing that the liver is called the main chemical laboratory of our body. She passes about 720 liters of blood per day. Moreover, this process is far from mechanical: 300 billion liver cells - hepatocytes - tirelessly process chemical and biological "raw materials", transforming some substances into others. Here, in the cells of the liver, many toxic substances that form in the body or get into it from the outside are neutralized. Here, the main chemical transformations of the constituent elements of food take place; all substances that are absorbed into the blood from the stomach and intestines are processed by liver enzymes.

Alcohol is no exception: the entire cycle of its chemical transformations is carried out with the participation of cellular liver enzymes. But the decay products of alcohol formed during its oxidation disrupt the finely balanced metabolic processes occurring in hepatocytes: in particular, fat metabolism is grossly distorted.

Through research, it was found that even a single dose can lead to serious changes in the function of liver cells. True, in a healthy body, due to its high compensatory capabilities, these disorders are quickly eliminated. But the more often and more massively the attacks of alcohol, the more hepatocytes are involved in the pathological process. The first phase of alcoholic liver damage begins - obesity.

In people addicted to alcohol, all structural components - cell organelles - are deformed, the cytoplasm is almost completely filled with fat, the nucleus shifts to the periphery. The cage increases in size, but its useful, working area decreases. "Fatty" hepatocytes are unable to perform their functions. If in the initial stages of liver damage is observed increased activity alcohol dehydrogenase - the main enzyme that decomposes alcohol, then subsequently there is a decrease in its activity, which is explained by the depletion of cells. In the liver, not only metabolic processes deteriorate, but its barrier function also suffers. Doctors are aware of cases when fatty degeneration of liver cells became the cause of sudden death.

However, pure obesity of the liver is very rare. As a rule, it is accompanied by inflammatory processes of the liver tissue - a favorable background is created for the development of alcoholic hepatitis. There are dull, excruciating, aching pains in the right hypochondrium, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, aversion to food. At an early stage, when the inflammatory process has not gone too far, it is possible to achieve partial and sometimes complete normalization of the structure and function of the organ (this applies equally to obesity). At the same time, a lot important role the time factor plays: the less “experience” of alcohol abuse, the more hope for a cure.

The main thing in the tactics of combating alcoholic hepatitis is to eliminate the root cause of the disease, which means a categorical rejection of alcohol, including wine and beer. If a person continues (even occasionally and little by little) to drink, liver cells, unable to withstand chronic alcohol intoxication, die. Cirrhosis of the liver develops. The place of dead cells is taken by connective tissue, the liver is covered with scars.

The connective tissue cords deform the hepatic lobules, as a result, the architectonics of the vascular bed changes, and the throughput of the liver decreases. Blood begins to stagnate in the blood vessels of the stomach, esophagus, intestines, pancreas; prerequisites are created for rupture of the walls of blood vessels and internal bleeding.

The liver affected by cirrhosis ceases to be "the most faithful guardian of the organism" (as the great Russian physiologist IP Pavlov called the liver). Its functional potential drops sharply, which leads to various pathological changes in metabolism, digestion, blood circulation, because these most complex vital processes of the body are directly dependent on the activity of the liver.

Studies show that when the liver is damaged by cirrhosis, protein metabolism is disrupted, which most adversely affects the composition of the blood. At the same time, the body's defenses decrease and its susceptibility to various diseases increases.

Suffers and carbohydrate metabolism, in connection with which the level of sugar in the blood rises, less glycogen is formed in the liver, and the absorption of carbohydrates by the tissues of the body becomes difficult.

It is known that the liver plays an important role in the regulation of blood coagulation and anticoagulation systems. In alcoholics, the imbalance of these systems is expressed in different ways: some easily bleed, others - blood clots, which leads to blockage of blood vessels.

Research in recent years has allowed us to trace a direct link between poor, but systematic drinking and liver damage. Numerous data indicate: fatty degeneration of the liver breaks down on average after 5-10 years of alcohol abuse, cirrhosis - after 15-20 years. This is something worth considering.

Alcohol begins to enter the bloodstream one to five minutes after it is taken and circulates through the bloodstream until it completely disintegrates in five to seven hours. And all this time the heart is working in extremely unfavorable conditions.

As a result of the effect of alcohol on the autonomic nervous system, the pulse quickens: instead of 70-80 beats per minute, as is usually normal, it reaches 100. At the same time, the strength and rate of contraction of the heart muscle (myocardium) decrease, since alcohol is a heart depressant - a substance that suppresses and depressing the activity of the body. The duration of each contraction (systole) is increased by the rest phase (diastole). And as you know, the moment of relaxation is extremely important: it is during this time that the energy necessary for the next heartbeat is accumulated. In this case, this does not happen: without having time to rest and accumulate energy, the myocardium is forced to start working again.

Practically healthy people after a one-time intake of a strong alcoholic drink, the content of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the blood significantly increases. It is well known that the increased release into the bloodstream of these biologically active substances typical for stressful situations, mental experiences. Under the influence of adrenaline and norepinephrine, the consumption of oxygen and nutrients by the heart muscle increases sharply. If the coronary vessels are able to provide increased blood flow to the myocardium, then heart failure does not occur. However, the matter takes on a different turn when the capabilities of the arteries of the heart are limited by a disease (for example, atherosclerosis) and cannot be delivered through them. required quantity blood: there is a danger of acute coronary insufficiency. To provoke it, sometimes it is not even enough a large number alcohol, and this must always be remembered for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

(in moderation, of course) although, as a rule, it does not end in disaster, it also does not pass without a trace. In an experiment on animals, it was found that acute alcohol intoxication grossly distorts metabolic processes in the elements of the cell nucleus - mitochondria. When intoxication is repeated repeatedly, pathological changes in metabolism become stable and spread to other elements of the cell; the exchange of calcium, which is very important for muscle contraction, is disrupted, and the permeability of cell membranes increases. Fats begin to accumulate in the heart muscle, protein reserves are depleted. Myocardial cells die, as a result, the integrity of the muscle fibers is disrupted. For example, in monkeys that were regularly injected with alcohol, degenerative changes in muscle fibers were revealed after three months. And in place of the dead active fibers, connective tissue grows, which is not capable of contraction, which significantly reduces the functionality of the heart.

True, for some time, despite serious shifts in metabolic-energy processes and muscle structure, the heart continues to work due to compensatory capabilities without a noticeable disruption of its basic functions. However, its reserves are not unlimited, if alcohol abuse continues, the first symptoms of the disease appear.

Statistics show; in people who abuse alcohol, certain diseases of the cardiovascular system are observed 2.5 times more often than in non-drinkers. The most common of them is alcoholic cardiomyopathy, characterized by pain in the region of the heart, tachycardia (palpitations. A person quickly gets tired, his working capacity decreases. Painful phenomena increase gradually. At first, the flabby, losing elasticity of the heart muscle (after all, a significant part of it is inoperative connective tissue) ceases cope with increased stress: brisk walking, jogging, climbing stairs cause shortness of breath, then shortness of breath appears with calm walking and, finally, at rest. atrial flutter, impulse conduction is disturbed, causing myocardial contraction.

It has been proven that diseases of the cardiovascular system in people who abuse alcohol are much more severe than in non-drinkers. This primarily applies to coronary heart disease. The use of alcoholic beverages often precedes a heart catastrophe. In addition, in people who abuse alcohol, myocardial infarctions are deep and widespread.

Over the years, an epidemiological survey of several thousand people in the Chicago area has shown a link between alcohol consumption and the development of hypertension. In persons who consumed a significant amount of alcoholic beverages, the systolic pressure was 8.5 millimeters of mercury, and the diastolic pressure was 4.7 millimeters above the average level.Mortality from all causes among these persons was 4 times higher than among moderate drinkers. and much higher - from cardiovascular diseases.

Alcohol also affects the cerebral vessels, as well as those mechanisms that regulate their tone, their adaptation to various needs of the body. The results of many statistical studies indicate that damage to the cerebral vessels is observed in alcohol abusers 4-5 times more often than in non-drinkers.

Earlier than healthy people, atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels develops, and it proceeds more severely, malignantly, with gross mental disorders.

There is currently no doubt that alcohol is now generally accepted as a risk factor for stroke. This, in particular, is evidenced by the results of the so-called epidemiological studies, when the largest possible group of the population is taken under observation, in which there are no patients with cerebrovascular diseases at the beginning of the observation. And then for several years (5-10-20) each case of cerebral stroke is counted. By the end of the observation period, the frequency of diseases is compared in those who had exposure to the studied risk factor (alcohol) and those who did not. These comparisons are then processed statistically to determine the significance of the differences obtained.

Similar studies, in particular conducted by Japanese scientists, have confirmed that there is an undeniable link between alcohol abuse and the development of stroke caused by cerebral hemorrhage. This dependence is also confirmed by the study of stroke patients treated in inpatient conditions. The number of patients with alcohol abuse among all patients treated in neurological departments for stroke ranges from 20 to 80 percent.

Most often, alcoholics develop this disease either during the period of intoxication, or in the first hours and days after it. According to statistics, 2/3 of patients with stroke symptoms appeared on the second day after acute intoxication. This incidence of stroke immediately after taking alcohol is explained by the effect of alcohol and its decay products on the mechanisms of regulation of cerebral circulation.

Drunkards are more likely to have cerebral hemorrhages than non-drinkers, and repeated strokes are observed.

Alcohol dramatically increases the permeability of the walls of blood vessels, which increases the risk of developing cerebral edema; increases blood clotting, has a toxic effect on red blood cells, disrupting their participation in gas exchange. In addition, the intake of salty food after alcohol, hot snacks provokes the development of a hypertensive crisis.

Alcohol has a particularly detrimental effect on the body of children and adolescents. Its destructive power primarily affects the activity of the nervous system. Even small doses of alcohol disrupt the metabolism in the nervous tissue, pathologically accelerate the process of excitation, and moderate doses make it difficult. At the same time, the work of the cerebral vessels is disrupted, they expand, their permeability increases, which in the future can lead to a stroke.

Nervous system young man easily excitable. His cerebral vessels are relatively wide, which is necessary for enhanced nutrition of growing cells. Alcohol is very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and its effect on the developing brain is especially destructive.

The presence of alcohol in the brain can be detected even 20 days after drinking.

Repeated or frequent use of vodka or wine literally devastates the psyche of a teenager. At the same time, not only the development of higher forms of thinking, the development of ethical and moral categories and aesthetic concepts are delayed, but the already developed abilities are also lost. A teenager, as they say, “grows dull” intellectually, emotionally, and morally.

Alcohol has many targets in the body. Among them - the liver, the epithelium, which lines the esophagus, stomach. When taking alcohol, the secretion and composition of gastric juice is disturbed, which, in turn, changes the digestive ability of the stomach, causing various unpleasant phenomena.

Lungs are also not indifferent to alcohol. About 10 percent of taken alcoholic beverages are removed from the body through them. It reacts very sensitively to alcohol and the heart of a growing person: its rhythm and frequency of contraction change unfavorably, and metabolic processes in the heart muscle are disrupted. Finally, the toxic effect of alcohol affects the blood: the activity of leukocytes, which play an important role in protecting the body, decreases, the movement of red blood cells that carry oxygen to the tissues slows down, the function of platelets, which are of great importance for blood clotting, changes pathologically.

Thus, alcohol has an extremely detrimental effect on the human body during adolescence. It weakens, inhibits and inhibits the correct development and maturation of organs, systems, and often completely extinguishes the development of some functions.

Chronic alcohol abuse leads to changes in bone tissue similar to those seen in older people with osteoporosis. These processes are the more intense, the more alcohol is consumed.

Shakespeare wrote that alcohol, fueling passion, reduces male potency. Ethyl alcohol acts directly on the male testicles, disrupting the production of testosterone: a more or less strong intoxication is enough to significantly reduce its amount. True, at first we are talking only about a temporary symptom: a day later, everything returns to normal. However, in the case of further consumption of alcohol, this kind of violation becomes irreversible.

Numerous studies conducted by scientists in different countries show that, on average, every third male alcoholic develops sexual weakness, the number of biologically defective and immobile spermatozoa increases sharply (according to scientists, up to 70 percent). Painful changes occur in the seminal glands that are exposed to chronic alcohol poisoning, which, over time, can lead to a complete cessation of sperm production, to impotence.

The optic nerve is the most important part of our eye. It transmits light stimuli from the peripheral parts of the visual apparatus to its central parts. The fibers of this nerve are extremely sensitive to intoxication, lack of oxygen, etc. Under the influence of harmful factors, they atrophy, die and, what is most dangerous, are not capable of recovery - regeneration in the future.

A frequent cause of severe changes in the optic nerve is systematic drunkenness. Most often this happens when using alcohol substitutes - surrogates: methyl alcohol, denatured alcohol, moonshine, varnish, etc.

Methyl alcohol is especially toxic. Once in the body, it is not completely oxidized, which is why an intermediate product is formed in the blood - formic acid. Its accumulation in the body leads to disturbances in oxidative and metabolic processes in the central nervous system, retina and other organs.

Sensitivity to methyl alcohol is not the same for everyone. In some people, poisoning with this surrogate occurs after taking small doses (half a teaspoon) or even as a result of inhaling its fumes.

What are the signs of methyl alcohol poisoning? In mild cases, headache, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal tract dysfunction, drowsiness appear, in more severe cases, unconsciousness and even death occur.

Visual impairment either occurs immediately in the background general poisoning methyl alcohol, or appear after a while - from several hours to one or two days. In this case, there is a sharp, rapidly progressive decrease in vision.

The further course of the disease is different. In mild cases, which are quite rare, vision improves within a month. More often, it steadily decreases or is completely lost.

Similar changes on the part of the organ of vision are also noted after the use of denatured alcohol, varnish, boot varnish: after all, they also contain methyl alcohol.

Home-made moonshine and vodka are very dangerous for the optic nerve. And this concept of moonshine contains a large amount of poisonous fusel oils, and in "home" vodka, significant amounts of methyl alcohol, which have a detrimental effect on the body, in particular on the optic nerve, are often found.

Atrophy of the optic nerve, a sharp decrease in vision Or blindness - this is the tragic ending of alcohol poisoning.

Vodka abuse, especially in combination with smoking, leads to the so-called alcohol and tobacco intoxication. Moreover, as a rule, these factors act simultaneously. Their manifestations are generally the same: both eyes are always affected. The disease begins with blurred vision, more noticeable during the day. In the future, color perception is disturbed, sometimes there are accommodation disorders - the ability to see from different distances, and the decline in vision progresses due to the development of optic nerve atrophy.

Almost no celebration, not only in Russia, but throughout the world, is complete without drinking alcohol. Toasts with wishes of good health to the hero of the occasion or to all members of the feast come into some conflict with the nature of alcohol. But nonetheless, festive mood, joy and happiness in our country are strongly associated with a drinking glass. And it is the psychological attitude and traditional influence that makes alcohol, dangerous in its essence, a welcome guest of every holiday.

Alcohol is a poison, or why it is called a slow poison

In official docs ethanol is called a potent psychoactive substance, which contributes to the occurrence of excessive excitation of the nervous system and can cause its paralysis.

It is the possibility of alcohol to stimulate the nervous system that is caused by drinking alcohol at a table.

The effects of alcohol

The effect of alcohol as a poison on the body is general toxic. When ethyl alcohol molecules hit the cell membranes of the body, their permeability changes. A change in the lipid factor does not allow potassium and magnesium ions to properly interact with nutrients and water entering the cells, causing a general metabolic disorder. Nutrient and water deficiencies have bad influence on the activity of organ cells, which can cause a general disruption of metabolic processes in the body.

Alcohol molecules increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. This allows the toxins produced during the breakdown of alcohol to penetrate the membranes of brain cells and disrupt their work. These substances include not only the decomposition products of alcohols, but also fusel oils, sugars, dyes and flavors. In addition, it does not penetrate into the cells of the brain the right amount water, which causes an imbalance in the water-salt balance and causes a severe headache the next day. General dehydration of the body cannot be eliminated even in the case of increased consumption of water along with alcohol.

Interacting with amino acids necessary for the construction of new cells in the body, ethyl alcohol releases esters and blocks protein synthesis.

In liver cells, ethyl alcohol is converted into a highly toxic substance - acetaldehyde. The interaction of this substance with adrenaline and dopamine receptors in the brain can cause mental disorders. The person may experience behavioral changes and hallucinations. This phenomenon, leading at the initial stages of intoxication to a feeling of pleasure and euphoria, can subsequently lead to a disorder of consciousness, delirium or psychotic abnormalities.

Alcohol begins to poison the body the moment it enters the body. Its full penetration into cells and tissues occurs an hour after ingestion. The highest concentration of alcohol reaches the brain cells. Even with very strong intoxication, only 10-15% can be excreted unchanged from the body. The rest of the ethyl alcohol will participate in metabolic processes destroying the body.

The most vulnerable, along with the nervous tissue and the brain, are the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the liver and kidneys.

When it enters the stomach, alcohol does not go through the digestion stage and does not dissolve in digestive juices. It is absorbed directly by the stomach wall, causing irritation and burns. The rate of intoxication depends on the rate of metabolism, that is, the absorption of alcohol by the wall of the stomach. The part that was nevertheless dissolved by the gastric nipple enters the small intestine, also irritating its wall. There, alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream and enters the liver with the bloodstream.

The rate of penetration of alcohol through the stomach wall is faster than through the small intestine. This is due to the rapid intoxication after alcohol taken on an empty stomach. But no tricks will be able to pass alcohol through the body without the fact that a significant part of it is not perceived by the body.

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Regular intake of alcohol can cause irritation and swelling of the stomach wall. This can be the cause of chronic gastritis and gastric or duodenal ulcers. Drinking alcohol can interfere with intestinal motility, which can cause diarrhea.

Alcohol has a detrimental effect on the pancreas. She is very sensitive to ethyl alcohol. Regular alcohol consumption leads to impaired enzyme production and chronic pancreatitis. This disease is one of the first in a series of significantly reducing the life expectancy of a person. Alcoholism can be a cause of diabetes.

Ethyl alcohol has a huge effect on liver function. The elimination of alcohol breakdown products from the blood carries an additional excessive load on this organ. Decontamination of alcohol causes impaired glucose production, which can lead to hypoglycemia and coma. In addition, there is a decrease in fatty acid oxidation. This causes the degeneration of liver cells according to the fatty type and provokes fatty degeneration of the liver. Permanent injuries that are caused by the detoxification of a large amount of acetaldehyde leads to the formation of scar tissue, cirrhosis.

The penetration of alcohol into the blood causes agglutination of blood cells, as a result of the adhesion of erythrocytes, the blood forms blood clots, its ability to carry oxygen decreases, which causes hypoxia of all organs and tissues. This is especially true for the myocardium. Ischemic heart disease is a common occurrence for all alcoholics. A decrease in myocardial contractility leads to a decrease in pressure, which leads to an increase in heart rate. Oxygen starvation along with increased load carries the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Regular intake of alcohol leads to a decrease in the production of leukocytes and granulocytes with low mobility. This is a severe blow to the immune system.

With excessive intake of alcohol, the excitation of the central nervous system turns into inhibition of the cells of the nervous tissue, which can serve to suppress the cerebral cortex and the respiratory center. This can be fatal.

Drinking alcohol is a Russian tradition

It cannot be argued that drunkenness is a Russian tradition. At all times, alcohol consumption on holidays was moderate. In some cases, it has been completely banned. The rampant alcoholization of the population took place in Russia mainly as a result of government reforms. We can recall two bright periods of alcoholization of the population - during the reforms of Peter I and during the post-war rule of the Communist Party of the USSR. The last outbreak of alcoholization of the population is associated with economic difficulties in the 90s. The impoverishment of the population and the lack of confidence in the future have served to significantly rejuvenate alcoholism. Recently, this wave has been declining. There is a change in the amount of alcohol consumed depending on the region. In the northern regions of Russia, alcohol is traditionally consumed slightly more than in the southern regions or regions inhabited mainly by Muslims. Recently, regions dominated by the Muslim population have practically equaled the rest of Russia in terms of alcohol consumption.

Is alcohol more harmful than drugs?

Alcohol dependence, like drug addiction, are serious diseases with social roots. Any psychoactive substances cause persistent physical and mental dependence and require systematic targeted treatment. It cannot be argued that alcohol more harmful than drugs... All these substances cause the destruction of the body, harm the human psyche, and also lead to the emergence of a large number of crimes that arise as a result of the search for funds to purchase psychoactive substances or as a result of their intake.

Alcohol and drugs simplify the human psyche and serve to degrade personality. The criminalization of communities leading the intake of certain psychoactive substances is at the highest level.

From the point of view of physiology, alcohol destroys faster internal organs, but HIV, hepatitis and other deadly diseases are more common among drug addicts ..

It is known that most of the holidays are currently not complete without the intake of alcoholic beverages, which have already become a symbol of any celebration. Many joyful and sad events in life are accompanied by the intake of this intoxicating product. Today, a large number of people take alcohol, and 2/3 of them believe that it does not harm their health at all. However, it is not.

Since many are accustomed to alcoholic products and cannot imagine celebrating any event without it, this greatly undermines the person's condition, and also negatively affects his health. Doctors say that alcohol is a poison that, although slowly, persistently aggravates human health. It is worth noting that alcohol has a powerful negative effect on all systems and organs of people, therefore it is recommended to take it in a small dosage and no more than 3 times a week. Otherwise, addiction will develop, in which you will want to drink more and more.

As described in GOST, ethanol, which is present in every alcoholic beverage, belongs to the group of potent drugs that first cause the production of the hormone of happiness, and also increase the body's arousal, and then. It is important to note that any alcoholic product, regardless of its strength and method of production, contains ethanol in its composition, therefore, taking alcohol, it can be argued that a person is engaged in drug addiction.

What actions does alcohol cause on the body?

It is known that alcohol is considered a poison for the body. First of all, its negative property is considered to be interaction with lipids, which are part of the cells that make up every human organ. Getting into the cells, it disrupts their insight, which ultimately does not give useful components, penetrating into the digestive tract along with food, is normally absorbed (zinc, calcium, iron). As a result, a person suffers from a lack of vitamins and minerals, which negatively affects the functioning of cells, and therefore the organ itself.

Also, alcoholic beverages increase the penetration of other barriers, leading to harmful substances not only in the bloodstream, but also in the organs. For example, it can be the brain, on which alcohol, toxic components and other substances have a detrimental effect. Therefore, with the constant intake of alcohol, an alcoholic develops dementia, memory loss and other brain problems.

Under the action of ethanol on amino acids, with the help of which the body produces the "building" of protein, this composition forms ethers unnecessary for a person, blocking the production of this necessary element. Alcohol poison in this case has a strong destructive property, in which the body loses some of its useful components.

Due to their own structure, alcohols are able to interact with water, namely, take it away from organs and tissues. This causes a number of violations, namely:

• dehydration;
• exacerbation of metabolism;
• intense thirst and dryness in the mouth;
• prostration;
• disruption of the work of some organs related to the urinary system.

In this case, alcoholic poison causes more than symptoms hangover syndrome, but also more dangerous signs, stating that a drunkard has a health condition malfunction.

Another negative property on the body caused by alcoholic beverages is intoxicating. It appears due to the fact that when ethanol breaks down in the liver, a toxic element called acetaldehyde is formed. Immediately after it enters the bloodstream, psychotropic components are formed in the alcoholic, which appears with the active action of acetaldehyde with hormones. Psychotropic (or, in other words, hallucinogenic) hormones, lead the human body into a state of intoxication, satisfaction or euphoria. As a result, this condition leads to:

• the appearance of delirium;
• psychosis;
• stress and depression.

Therefore, such an alcoholic poison for human health should not be taken in large quantities, because the appearance of the above symptoms leads to the development of diseases that are dangerous to health associated with the state of the brain.

It is important to note that the onset of poisoning begins at the moment when the alcoholic takes a dose of alcohol. In half an hour, most of the ethanol will already be in the blood of a person, his tissues and organs. It should be noted that most of all ethyl alcohol accumulates in the brain, slightly less in the lungs and liver, and very little in the kidneys and spleen. In "safe and sound" no more than 10% of the body leaves the body - the rest of the ethanol is excreted through urine, sweat or breath, while causing significant harm to the health of the alcoholic.

The effect of alcohol as a poison on organs

Immediately after entering the body, ethanol has a negative effect on all tissues and organs. Most of all, this component affects the organs of the digestive tract, blood vessels and heart, the brain, and also the central nervous system. This is explained as follows: getting into the gastrointestinal tract, ethanol is quickly absorbed into the blood, after which it enters the heart and brain. That is why other organs are affected to a lesser extent, since the concentration of alcohol in them is somewhat lower.

The effect of alcohol on the digestive tract

Alcoholic poison, when absorbed by the stomach, does not require the production of gastric juice, since it enters the blood stream unchanged. At the same time, a small part of it enters the liver.

Important: the rate of intoxication of a person depends on how quickly ethanol enters the bloodstream.

It should be noted that alcohol is absorbed in the stomach a little longer than in the intestines. However, if a person takes alcohol on an empty stomach, then ethanol will enter the bloodstream even faster. Taking intoxicating drinks on a full stomach leads to the fact that alcoholic beverages will stay in the body longer, while having a negative effect on the health of the drinker.

Frequent reception alcoholic beverages leads to the appearance of edema on the mucous membrane, which causes the development of a mass of diseases. For example, it can be:

• gastritis;
• ulcers;
• duodenitis;
• mucosal atrophy;
• diarrhea.

The penetration of ethanol into the pancreas leads to the development of such an unpleasant pathology as pancreatitis. Disruption of the work of this organ leads to a disruption in the production of insulin, which threatens the development of diseases of the endocrine system.

Important: in the liver, alcohol turns into a poison that is dangerous to health, so prolonged intake of alcohol can greatly "undermine" health.

The effect of alcohol on the heart and blood vessels

Penetrating into the blood stream, the poisonous component, first of all, negatively affects the blood cells, which leads to the adhesion of red blood cells. This, in turn, leads to impaired hematopoiesis, resulting in hypoxia (impaired oxygen supply).

Constant binges cause the following functional disorders:

• decrease in the production of leukocytes;
• slow response of body systems to the production of new antibodies;
• low mobility of granulocytes.

This causes a sharp change in the composition of the blood flow, which leads to disruption of the functioning of the whole organism.

As ethanol penetrates into the heart muscle, it significantly reduces its contractility, as well as lowers blood pressure and decreases heart rate. This leads to an increased demand for oxygen in the heart, which cannot be fully carried by the blood.

Regular drinking of beer or other alcoholic beverages leads to the development of hypertension, heart failure, impaired blood circulation in the brain cavity, as well as the formation of blood clots, which pose a serious danger to human health.

The effect of alcohol on other organs

Alcohol has a particularly strong negative effect on the cells of the central nervous system, which leads to their rapid excitation. With frequent drinking of alcoholic beverages, poisoning with poison occurs, which leads to a violation of the integrity of the cerebral cortex (spinal, oblong and cerebral), as well as breathing problems.

Alcohol getting into the genitals of a man disrupts the production of sperm, which significantly increases the chance of having a child with pathologies and deformities. Upon penetration into the mammary glands, alcohol causes defects in the growth and development of a child who eats breast milk... Also strong drinks negatively affect female germ cells, which negatively affects conception.

but greatest harm health, alcoholic poison carries with damage to the DNA of cells, which causes the rapid formation cancerous tumors... It is important to note that the appearance of neoplasms is also possible with a daily intake of a small dose of alcohol - no more than 30 ml.

Each person should remember that alcohol is a poison that slowly but effectively destroys a person, and also causes the development of a large number of diseases. To avoid this, it is worth taking alcohol in the optimal dose and no more than 3 times a week.

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