It is extremely important to know about the alcohol consumption and its relationship to our health, the negative effects of alcohol, and the risks of drinking alcohol. I learned many facts and information about alcohol that I was not aware of. The first thing I learned is that alcohol is a depressant which impairs physical and mental abilities of an individual. Alcohol is a toxin and highly addictive drug that can put a person in dangerous situations. Alcohol has both short-term and long-
term effects.
Alcohol leads to the serious health consequences. It affects individual’s different parts of the brain and causes damage to some of the body organs such as cirrhosis of liver. According to Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition, 10th Edition textbook, “It is an irreversible condition in which fibrous deposits scar the liver and interfere with its functioning. Alcohol is the most damaging to the liver. Cirrhosis develops in up to 20% of cases of alcoholism and is the second leading reason for liver transplants, affecting about 2 million people in the United States” (Smith & Collene, 2016, pg. 662-663).
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The most interesting part that I learned through this homework is that parents who consume excessive alcohol are more likely to pass their trait to the next generation. I learned that a person needs to drink in moderation. According to PowerPoint slide, “moderate drinking is 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men. One drink is defined as 12 fl oz of regular beer = 8-9 fl oz of malt liquor = 5 fl oz of table wine = 1.5 fl oz shot of 80-proof spirits” (Dimond, PowerPoint slide 7). “If a person drinks in moderation, it will have more positive correlation and less negative consequences at some point on the individual.
We can lower the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and cancer with moderate alcohol consumption” (https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/alcohol-the-benefits-of-moderate-drinking.html). I came to know that alcoholic beverages are also not good and beneficial for our health such as beer, distilled spirits (rum, vodka, bourbon, whiskey), wine, and mixed drinks, etc. Alcoholic beverages contain a chemical form called ethanol which makes you drunk and also used to make alcohol. “According to the slide, it states that alcoholic beverages increase the risk of developing cancer of mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colorectal cancer, cancer of liver, stomach, and breast cancer” (Dimond, PowerPoint slide 13).
Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition, 10th edition states that, “Most alcohol (90% to 98%) however is metabolized in liver. The liver is the primary site for alcohol metabolism, and some may also be metabolized by the cells lining the stomach. Alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase are the enzymes used in the metabolism of alcohol and ethanol” (Smith & Collene, 2016, pg. 661).
Another important part that I studied and learned is about the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).
Breath test or breath analyzer is used to assess accurate BAC of the person. BAC is a measurement of the alcohol percentage amount that is present in a person’s blood. It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol when an adult’s blood has 0.08 percent alcohol and, in some states, considered as 0.10. Drivers under the age of 21 should have zero tolerance or using 0.02 percent limit. Blood alcohol concentration is harmful and affects person’s impairment. Individual’s judgement, behavior, perception, and driving ability is highly impacted by blood alcohol concentration.
I also learned about the most serious disorder type called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). It is a condition in which a child is highly affected from alcohol exposure during the mother’s pregnancy. FAS causes physical, mental, cognitive, and behavioral problems to a child. The more a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, the greater is a risk for an unborn fetus of developing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS.
Works Cited
- Wardlaw, Gordon M., et al. Wardlaw’s Contemporary Nutrition. Mc Graw- Hill Education, 2016.
- Dimond, Alison. “Alcohol.” Cosumnes River College. 15 June 2019. PowerPoint slide
- “Alcohol: The Benefits of Moderate Drinking / Nutrition / Healthy Eating.” / Nutrition / Healthy
Eating, www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/alcohol-the-benefits-of-moderate-drinking.html - Dimond, Alison. “Alcohol.” Cosumnes River College. 15 June 2019. PowerPoint slide
