Alcohol and diet

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Alcohol and diet

Alternative Names:

Liquor; Diet - alcohol

Side Effects:

Alcohol is an addictive substance.

Alcohol is a leading cause of traffic accidents in the United States because it slows reaction time and impairs your judgment.

The liver detoxifies (or metabolizes) alcohol. Continued, excessive use of alcohol can damage the liver You can develop alcoholic hepatitis and then a fatty liver. A fatty liver can progress to cirrhosis of the liver, a potentially fatal condition.

Alcohol is a risk factor for development of cancer of the esophagus, throat, larynx, mouth, and breast.

The presence of alcohol impairs the absorption of essential nutrients because it can damage the lining of the small intestine and the stomach where most nutrients are digested. Alcohol also requires some vitamins in its metabolism, and it interferes with the absorption and storage of some specific vitamins.

Alcohol can impair sexual function, even though it may increase your interest in sexual activity.

Alcohol intake during pregnancy has been identified as the cause of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Review Date: 1/29/2004
Reviewed By: Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Ma., and Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc. Previously reviewed by Poune Saberi, M.D., M.P.H., Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (1/30/2002).

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