Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behaviour, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.
But alcohol abuse can impact your health much sooner than that - and it’s more serious than a hangover. According to Daily Express, here are the three ways alcohol can impact your health if you overdo it this December:
- Vitamin deficiency
Bingeing on alcohol can leave you seriously depleted in certain important vitamins. “Alcohol can increase the demand for certain nutrients used to help the body deal with alcohol, such as the B vitamins,” warned Hobson.B vitamins, which include vitamin b12, niacin and biotin, are important for energy and converting food into fuel.
Even moderate drinking can cause inflammation off the stomach which stops cells making a substance called intrinsic factor, which boosts absorption both key B vitamin. A lack of vitamin B12 can lead to build-up of a compound called homocysteine, which in the long term could lead to heart attack and stroke.
- Weight gain
The festive season is a nightmare for the waistline, what with all the mince pies, chocolate advent calendars and turkey on offer. “Drinking can change the way you eat and the food choices you make, which can impact on health and weight,” said Hobson.
“It can also cause erratic eating patterns such as skipping breakfast or binging.” He suggested complementing any partying with a nourishing, balanced diet.
- Diarrhoea
Drinking too much can have a unpleasant effect on your bowel movement. According to Don’t Bottle It Up, alcohol irritates the small intestine, in addition to lining of the throat, stomach, and large intestine. If the small intestine becomes inflamed it can impact on the absorption of nutrients that pass into the large intestine and trigger diarrhoea. Regular bouts of diarrhoea could cause malnutrition and dehydration.