Cheers or Challenges? The Real Impact of Alcohol on your Health

A glass of wine with dinner, a celebratory toast or a night out with friends, alcohol is woven into many traditions, celebrations, and social occasions.

It is seen as a way to relax, connect, or mark special moments. And while social and occasional drinking may feel harmless, alcohol affects nearly every organ in the body, even in small amounts. Its effect can be immediate, impairing judgment and coordination, but it can also be cumulative, quietly impacting long-term health in ways we won't notice. Until we do.

Here's a closer look at the real impact of alcohol on your health and how good nutrition can support your body to recover, reduce the burden of alcohol on your liver and offer some protection from the damaging effects of alcohol.

What happens when you drink?

Alcohol is absorbed quickly with about 20% being absorbed in the stomach and rest in the small intestine. Once in your bloodstream, it travels to nearly every tissue in the body.

The liver is the main detox hub for alcohol, secreting enzymes that help to break down the alcohol. If the liver isn't able to detoxify efficiently enough, the compounds created by the enzymes can recirculate in the bloodstream, causing some very unpleasant symptoms and even long term damage to cells and DNA.

Alcohol can also initiate oxidative stress, a state linked to many chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer, including oral, breast, liver and oesophageal cancers. Alcohol can also deplete the body of essential nutrients and disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome. This is why we are now told that no level of alcohol consumption is completely "safe".

So what impact does it have?

The liver is the main processing site for alcohol and it does an incredible job. But it has its limits. Consistent or heavy alcohol consumption can lead to conditions such as fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis, an irreversible condition where scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. Although the liver has a remarkable ability to regenerate itself, that ability is not without its limits and even moderate alcohol consumption can elevate liver enzymes indicating that the liver is experiencing stress and inflammation.

Anybody who drinks alcohol will recognise its effect on the brain and nervous system. Reduced coordination, lowering of inhibitions, impaired memory and decision-making skills and the increased risk of accidents and risky behaviours are caused by alcohol disrupting the delicate balance of the chemicals in the brain. Long-term alcohol consumption is also associated with increased anxiety, depression and cognitive decline while even moderate consumption can affect sleep and memory.

Alcohol is an irritant to the digestive system and can contribute to conditions such as gastritis and acid reflux that can damage the delicate lining of the oesophagus. It is disruptive to the gut microbiome, impacting the immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds and flu for example, and it impairs the absorption of important nutrients such as B vitamins, zinc and magnesium.

The relationship between alcohol and heart health has been much debated and while some studies have suggested that small amounts of alcohol might have a beneficial effect on raising HDL cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, more recent evidence suggests that any protective effect is outweighed by the increased risk of high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and stroke.

Alcohol consumption can have a real and significant effect on hormone health, impairing the liver's ability to process hormones properly and disrupting the delicate balance of hormone production, impacting stress and thyroid hormones and sex hormones in both men and women. In women, this might cause irregular periods, or an increase in symptoms of PMS or menopause and in men heavy consumption can lower testosterone, contributing to reduced sperm quality and erectile dysfunction. It has also been associated with an increased risk or hormone-driven cancers, such as breast cancer.

How can nutrition help?

While there is no food or magic wand that can make alcohol "safe", good nutrition can help your body to recover and become more resilient.

Foods that support the liver are a great place to start. Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale and cauliflower support the production of enzymes that help with detoxification, while sulphur rich foods such as garlic, onions and eggs are useful to support the liver to produce a crucial antioxidant, glutathione.

Foods that replenish depleted nutrients such as leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, seafood, fish and poultry, will help to replace B vitamins, zinc and magnesium.

Antioxidant foods will help to mop up the free-radicals that can cause damage to cells and tissues. Foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E are a good source of antioxidants so berries, grapes, oranges, apples, spinach, broccoli, sweet potato, red cabbage a.k.a a range of colourful fruit and vegetables along with walnuts, almonds, green tea and yes, dark chocolate.

Gut friendly foods will help to support the beneficial gut bacteria. Foods rich in prebiotic fibre such as oats, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, apples will feed the microbiome and fermented foods such as Greek yoghurt, sauerkraut and kefir will help to replenish it.

Drink more water may sound like a really obvious piece of advice but it amazing how many of us don't drink enough of it, especially if we are drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a powerful diuretic and dehydration is one of the causes of those morning-after headaches. Drink water before, during and after alcohol and try coconut water that can help to replace some of the minerals lost on those frequent trips to the loo.

Want to have a healthier relationship with alcohol?

A balanced diet, full of colourful fruit, veg and fibre is a great way to start but you can also use these practical tips to help.

• Always eat before drinking - a balanced meal with some protein and healthy fats will slow the absorption of alcohol, prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar and may help to reduce the severity of that morning-after feeling.

• Alternating an alcoholic drink with water, either sparkling or still will slow down the amount of alcohol you drink and will prevent dehydration.

• Follow the current guidelines of no more than 14 units per week although aiming for less would be preferable.

• Make sure that you have several alcohol-free days each week and don't "catch-up" drink. Saving all your drinks for one occasion increases the risk of harm.

• Track your sleep, energy and mood after drinking to see how it is really affecting you - it's easy to forget how it's making you feel, until the next time!

Developing a healthier relationship with alcohol and having more days without it, gives your body a chance to repair and regenerate but it can be challenging. If you'd like to reframe the way that you think about alcohol, take a look at these books by Annie Grace or at the Drink Aware app to track your alcohol consumption and support you to make informed choices.

If, however, your health has been impacted by alcohol and you feel that you could benefit from the support of a Registered Nutritionist, please get in touch, book a call and let's have a chat.

References & Sources

World Health Organization. Alcohol. Fact Sheet. 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcohol’s Effects on the Body. Updated 2021. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

Rehm J, et al. "Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use." The Lancet Public Health, 2023.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19560604/

Bagnardi V, et al. "Alcohol consumption and site-specific cancer risk." Annals of Oncology, 2013.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25422909/

Engen PA, Green SJ, Voigt RM, Forsyth CB, Keshavarzian A. The Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Alcohol Effects on the Composition of Intestinal Microbiota. Alcohol Res. 2015;37(2):223-36. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4590619/