You've probably heard it in the news and read articles starting to say that reducing or eliminating alcohol is good for you. Some of your favorite celebrities may actively struggle with alcohol use, even on live television. You probably know the basics, that alcohol interferes with your senses, and it can lead to bad decision-making.
But, the question is, why?
Take a look at the following scenario:
Imagine one day, you wake up after years of drinking a six-pack of beer a day. Or, you wake up after a long night of studying, for which you are sipping some mixed drink, a habit you have had every day for the last two years because it feels good. Then you walk into your bathroom and look in the mirror.
You're shocked.
Eyes and skin are yellow. You feel lethargic, and your belly might look bigger than usual like something's inside.
What I just described to you are the common symptoms of alcohol liver disease, jaundice, and ascites. Your liver is going through a battle that you may or may not make it through.
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body. It's a special organ, as it can regenerate, and it also has a key role in metabolism. The liver has many functions, such as filtering toxins, producing bile, and clearing bilirubin, which is produced from the breakdown of blood cells (hence if your liver isn't working well, bilirubin will enter the bloodstream and features like your skin and eyes will turn yellow). Your liver also has to clear alcohol.
Long-term heavy alcohol consumption can lead to repetitive inflammation which eventually leads to fibrosis, and then cirrhosis of the liver. Young people may associate cirrhosis with long-term heavy alcohol consumption over years and years of drinking. But, young people can also succumb to a disease known as alcoholic hepatitis. This is inflammation caused by heavy alcohol use and each episode decreases a patient's chance of survival. Different from cirrhosis, it can be more deadly. But, with the appropriate counseling and motivation, one can prevent an episode from occurring again, which is by completely stopping alcohol use.
You might think that your current alcohol consumption will never lead to such severe circumstances. But, even occasional consumption has been proven to lead to other health concerns that can severely impact your quality of life, even if you do not develop cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis. Developing healthier habits now may put you and your liver on a better path. Remember, your liver is the toxic cleanup station of your body. It is already doing so much for you, even if it does not feel like it. The city you live in, your occupation, the medications you take, yes, even the foods you eat take a toll on your liver. And while most of these environmental factors are out of your control, there is one major lifestyle factor over which you do have control: your alcohol consumption. You know exactly how much alcohol you are putting in your body (before you're drunk enough), but your liver doesn't. By eliminating alcohol from your diet, you are taking care of your liver and your overall health.
Before closing out, please take a look at this short video:
Give your liver a break. You might not realize it now, but you will feel the difference, mentally and physically. And if your liver could speak, it would thank you for it.
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