ALCOHOL: A SHORT HISTORY

Fermented beverages in early Egyptian civilization. Photo Credit: GoddessGift

Fermented grain, fruit juice and honey have been used to make
alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) for thousands of years.
Fermented beverages existed in early Egyptian civilization, and there
is evidence of an early alcoholic drink in China around 7000B.C. In India, an alcoholic
beverage called sura, distilled from rice, was in use between 3000 and 2000 B.C.
The Babylonians worshiped a wine goddess as early as 2700 B.C. In Greece, one of the first
alcoholic beverages to gain popularity was mead, a fermented drink made from honey and
water. Greek literature is full of warnings against excessive drinking.
Several Native American civilizations developed alcoholic beverages in preColumbian1 times. A variety of fermented beverages from the Andes region of South
America were created from corn, grapes or apples, called chicha.

In the sixteenth century, alcohol (called spirits) was used largely for medicinal purposes.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the British parliament passed a law encouraging
the use of grain for distilling spirits. Cheap spirits flooded the market and reached a peak in
the mid-eighteenth century. In Britain, gin consumption reached 18 million gallons and
alcoholism became widespread.

The nineteenth century brought a change in attitudes and the temperance movement began
promoting the moderate use of alcoholwhich ultimately became a push for total
prohibition.
In 1920 the US passed a law prohibiting the manufacture, sale, import and export of
intoxicating liquors. The illegal alcohol trade boomed and by 1933, the prohibition of alcohol
was cancelled.
Today, an estimated 15 million Americans suffer from alcoholism and 40% of all car accident
deaths in the US involve alcohol.

How Alcohol Affects the Body

Even a small amount of alcohol has an effect on your body. When you drink, alcohol is absorbed
into your bloodstream and distributed throughout your body. A tiny amount of alcohol exits your
body in your urine and your breath.
You absorb alcohol more slowly if you eat, especially if the food is high in fat. However, if you
drink more than your body can process, youll get drunk. How quickly alcohol is metabolized
depends on your size and gender, among other things.
Alcohol consumption causes physical and emotional changes that can do great harm to your
body. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse are many, putting your health in serious jeopardy
and endangering your life.
Excretory System

The excretory system is responsible for processing and eliminating waste products
like alcohol from your body. As part of that process, the pancreas secretes digestive enzymes that
combine with bile from the gallbladder to help digest food. The pancreas also helps regulate
insulin and glucose.
Excessive alcohol use can cause the pancreas to produce toxic substances that interfere with
proper functioning. The resulting inflammation is called pancreatitis, a serious problem that can
destroy the pancreas. One of the most frequent causes of chronic pancreatitis is alcohol abuse.
The livers job is to break down harmful substances, including alcohol. Excessive drinking can
cause alcoholic hepatitis which can lead to the development of jaundice (yellowing of the skin

and eyes). Chronic liver inflammation can lead to severe scarring known as cirrhosis. This
formation of scar tissue can destroy the liver. When the liver fails to perform, toxic substances
remain in your body. Liver disease is life threatening. Women are at higher risk for alcoholic
liver disease than men, because womens bodies tend to absorb more alcohol and take longer to
process it.
When the pancreas and liver dont function properly, the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
rises. A damaged pancreas can cause the body to be unable to utilize sugar due to a lack of
insulin, which can lead to hyperglycemia. Unbalanced blood sugar levels can be a dangerous
problem, especially for people with diabetes. Alcohol abuse also raises your risk of liver cancer.
Central Nervous System

One of the first signs of alcohol in your system is a change in behavior. Alcohol
travels through the body easily. It can quickly reach many parts of your body, including your
brain and other parts of your central nervous system. That can make it harder to talk, causing
slurred speech, the telltale sign that someone who has had too much to drink. It can also affect
coordination, interfering with balance and the ability to walk.
Drink too much, and your ability to think clearly is in trouble, as are your impulse control and
ability to form memories. Over the long term, drinking can actually shrink the frontal lobes of
your brain. Acute alcoholic withdrawal can lead to seizures and delirium. And severe alcoholism
can progress to permanent brain damage, causing dementia.
Damage to your nervous system can result in pain, numbness, or abnormal sensations in your
feet and hands. Alcoholism can cause a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, which can result in
involuntary rapid eye movements, weakness, or paralysis of the eye muscles.
Men and women metabolize alcohol differently. It generally takes less alcohol to affect women.
Over time, a heavy drinker can become physically and emotionally dependent on alcohol. It may
be very difficult to gain control. Unlike most other common addictions, acute alcohol withdrawal
can be life threatening. Cases of severe, chronic alcohol addiction often require medical
detoxification.
When an alcoholic stops drinking abruptly, theyre likely to experience symptoms of withdrawal,
such as:

nausea

 anxiety
nervousness
tremors
In severe cases, it may lead to confusion, hallucinations (delirium tremens), and seizures.
Detoxification can take between two and seven days. Medications can help prevent side effects
of withdrawal.
Digestive System

Alcohol can wreak havoc on your digestive system, from your mouth all the way to
your colon. Even a single incidence of heavy drinking can injure parts of your digestive tract.
Alcohol abuse can damage the salivary glands and irritate the mouth and tongue, leading to gum
disease, tooth decay, and even tooth loss. Heavy drinking can cause ulcers in the esophagus, acid
reflux, and heartburn. Stomach ulcers and inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) can
occur.
Inflammation of the pancreas interferes with its ability to aid digestion and regulate metabolism.
Damage to the digestive system can cause gassiness, abdominal fullness, and diarrhea. It can also
lead to dangerous internal bleeding, which may be due to ulcers, hemorrhoids, or esophageal
varices caused by cirrhosis.
Alcohol makes it harder for your digestive tract to absorb nutrients and B vitamins or control
bacteria. Alcoholics often suffer from malnutrition. Heavy drinkers face higher risk of mouth,
throat, and esophagus cancers. Moderate drinking in the presence of tobacco use can raise the
risk of these upper-gastrointestinal cancers. Colon cancer is also a risk. Symptoms of alcohol
withdrawal may include nausea and vomiting.

Circulatory System

In some cases, a single episode of heavy drinking can cause trouble for your heart.
Its even more likely your heart will suffer if youre a chronic drinker. Women who drink are at
even higher risk of heart damage than men.
Circulatory system complications include:

poisoning of the heart muscle cells

(cardiomyopathy)
irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
high blood pressure
stroke
heart attack
heart failure
People with diabetes have an increased risk of low blood sugar levels, especially if they use
insulin. Deficiencies in vitamin B6, vitamin B12, thiamine, and folic acid can cause lowered
blood counts. A common symptom of anemia is fatigue.

Reproductive Health

Excessive drinking can cause a woman to stop menstruating and become infertile. It also can
increase her risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, and stillbirth. Alcohol has a huge effect on
fetal development. A range of problems, called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), can
occur. FASD symptoms, which include physical abnormalities, learning difficulties, and
emotional problems, can last a lifetime.

For women, the risk of breast cancer rises with alcohol use.
Skeletal and Muscle Systems

Long-term alcohol use makes it harder for your body to produce new bone.
Drinking puts you at increased risk of osteoporosis (thinning bones) and bone fractures. Muscles
become prone to weakness, cramps, and even atrophy.
Immune System

An immune system weakened by alcohol abuse has a hard time fighting off viruses,
germs, and all types of illness. Heavy drinkers are more likely to get pneumonia or tuberculosis
than the general population. Chronic alcohol use increases your risk of many forms of cancer.