Since alcohol is the most commonly used drug worldwide, knowing the effects of alcohol (good and bad) is important. High levels of illness and deaths are associated with is its abuse and there is a significant increase in the number of women and teenagers who currently abuse alcohol.

However, there have been a number of studies which show the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. Alcohol has been shown to be both beneficial and detrimental to health; the distinction seems to be the amount consumed.

The average person in the world is estimated to consume 5.8 liters of pure alcohol per year, meaning that it is not calculated based on the volume of beverages, but on the amount of alcohol in each beverage. Distilled spirits account for most of the alcohol consumed in Europe and beer is the number one alcoholic beverage in North America.

However, actual consumption rates vary around the world. Parts of Southeast Asia, including India, have a per person average of around 2 liters of pure alcohol per year, while Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union average around 13 liters per year.

Upon ingestion, alcohol is absorbed in the small intestines and quickly enters the blood stream. Maximal blood alcohol concentration is reached around 75 minutes after ingestion, and the alcohol is distributed to all water compartments in the body, which is almost everywhere since the body is approximately 70% water.

Alcohol is considered both a nutrient and a drug. As a nutrient, the body uses alcohol for energy and to build and repair tissue. As a drug, alcohol is able to alter certain processes in the body. However, like all drugs, alcohol has the potential to be both therapeutic and toxic, depending on the dose.

Health Benefits of Alcohol Consumption in Moderation

More than 100 different studies from more than 25 different countries have all shown moderate alcohol consumption to be beneficial to health. These studies have shown that those who consume alcohol have a considerably lower risk for coronary heart disease.

These studies have shown that all three types of alcohol (beer, wine, and distilled spirits) all confer this protection, however, wine has been shown to be most protective, followed by beer, and lastly, distilled spirits. In addition to the source of alcohol consumed, it is thought that it is the daily habit of moderate consumption which protects against heart disease. In fact, abstainers, light-drinkers, and heavy-drinkers have a higher risk of mortality, coronary heart disease and cancer than moderate daily drinkers.

Alcohol and wine intake has been shown to have a positive effect on blood triglyceride profiles and lowers blood pressure. In turn, moderate drinkers have a lower incidence of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

Moderate alcohol consumption can counter insulin resistance and lower the risk for type 2 diabetes. Alcohol has also been shown to decrease the risk for certain types of cancer such as lymphoma and kidney cancer. Also, the health benefits of the relaxation effect of moderate drinking cannot be ignored.

Additionally, it has been shown that people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol actually have a decreased risk for illnesses and death compared to those who do not drink and who abuse alcohol.

Health Risks of Alcohol Consumption in Excess

In 2000, the World Health Organization published a study on the global burden of disease and found that with increasing volume of alcohol consumed, an increase in health problems is observed. However, not only the volume of alcohol is important in considering health risks, the habits are also important.

Moderate, daily drinkers typically have fewer health problems associated with alcohol compared with light drinkers who frequently binge drinks. Ethanol begins to exert its toxic effects when more is ingested than the liver can process in an hour; that is about 15 grams of pure ethanol. Immediate effects of excessive intake can impede the ability of the intestines to absorb nutrients. Therefore, long term abuse can lead to vitamin deficiencies.

Short-term effects of excessive alcohol intake include dehydration, lethargy, changes in vision, stupor, coma and even death. The common after-effect of short term excessive alcohol ingestion is a hang-over, which is due mostly to the dehydrating effects of ethanol.

Liver disease is most commonly associated with long-term excessive alcohol use. In western countries, alcohol abuse is the number one cause of chronic liver disease most often noted by the presence of liver cirrhosis, a disease marked by fibrosis and altered liver architecture. It is often progressive and may eventually lead to liver failure.

Alcohol abuse can also increase the risk for certain cancers. While it is unclear whether alcohol itself causes cancer, it has been shown to enhance the cancer-causing activity of other known chemicals, such as tobacco. Excessive drinkers have been shown to be at an increased risk for head and neck cancers, breast cancer and liver cancer.

Conclusion:

Moderate alcohol use has many possible positive health benefits such as a decrease for coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Additionally, moderate daily drinkers have a lower risk for illness and death compared with those who do not drink at all and those who drink too much. However, excessive drinking is associated with a number of illnesses, most notably liver disease. Alcohol, as a drug, should be used only in moderation.

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Amount of Alcohol in Common Beverages

Beverage Alcohol Percentages

American Style Lager Beer (Bud, Miller, etc.) 3.5 - 5.5%
Most Other Beer Styles 4-12%
Specialty Beers (Barley wines and some small batch beers) 13-25%
Cider 4-8%
Wine 9-16%
Liqueurs 15-55%
Spirits 20-95%
Vodka 32-60%
Rum 37.5-75.5%
Whiskey 30-45%
Natural Grain Spirit 95%

The author, Karen Vieira PhD, is a medical researcher not a physician that was hired to write this article. Please consult your primary care physician to discuss any changes you would like to make to your dietary habits.

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