• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
live love fruit logo

Live Love Fruit

Eat Vibrantly. Live Vibrantly

About Start Here Work With Me

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Health
  • Remedies
  • Recipes
  • A-Z Conditions
  • Fitness
  • Environment
  • Self Improvement
  • My LLF
  • Shop
Category: > Health > 5 Surprising Ways Alcohol Affects The Body

5 Surprising Ways Alcohol Affects The Body

Mar 10, 2017 Carly Fraser Save For Later Print

Last Updated: Oct 29, 2018

144 shares
  • Facebook142
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Ways Alcohol Affects The Body

Even if you stay within the parameters for drinking (one drink per day for women, and up to two drinks daily for men), you’re still putting your health at risk.

In fact, according to numerous studies, even moderate amounts of alcohol can have negative effects on the body, whether that’s making you more susceptible to disease or messing up your sleep.

Here are 5 surprising ways alcohol affects the body:

It May Increase The Risk Of Certain Cancers

One study found that just one alcoholic drink a day can increase the risk of breast cancer (1). Alcohol increases estrogen levels, which many breast cancers need in order to grow. Drinking alcohol is also linked with cancers of the esophagus, mouth, colon and liver.

It Is Bad For Your Sleep

Although booze may help you fall asleep more quickly, it negatively impacts the quality of your sleep. A study done by the London Sleep Centre-Neuropsychiatry found that alcohol reduces rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the stage of sleep that is most restorative (2). Without REM, you’ll feel as though you haven’t slept at all, and will make you drowsy during the day with brain fog.

It Makes You Gain Weight

Alcohol is filled with empty calories and lots of sugar. It also lessens your self-control, which means more indulgence in unhealthy treats and late-night fast food runs. Alcohol also suppresses leptin, which is a hunger-regulating hormone. The less leptin you have being produced, the more you are going to eat.

It Can Cause Nutritional Deficiencies

Alcohol inhibits the absorption of vital nutrients that keep us healthy. When you start drinking, the body shifts its processes to metabolizing the alcohol instead of processing vitamins and minerals. Alcohol is also very strong and irritates the lining of the stomach and intestinal tract, which inhibits absorption of nutrients. If your body can’t absorb nutrients, this will lead to deficiencies over time.

It Worsens Depression

If you’re already depressed, its likely you also feel the need to drink alcohol. However, this creates a nasty cycle of dependence that often only makes things worse. Since alcohol is a depressant, or a “downer” in itself, it can only make matters worse. It can create unhealthy habits that often spiral into symptoms of addiction. If you’re worried about alcoholism, it may be time to cut back.

144 shares
  • Facebook142
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: Diet & Lifestyle, Health Tagged With: alcohol and depression, alcoholism, how alcohol affects the body, symptoms of addiction

Carly Fraser

About the Author

Carly Fraser has her BSc (Hons.) Degree in Neuroscience, and is the owner and founder at Live Love Fruit. She currently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a determined life mission to help inspire and motivate individuals to critically think about what they put in their bodies and to find balance through nutrition and lifestyle. She has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals to re-connect with their bodies and learn self-love through proper eating habits and natural living. She loves to do yoga, dance, and immerse herself in nature.

View Profile

Reader Interactions

Related Posts

  • This Vanilla Fig Smoothie Benefits Your Body in 10 Different Ways
  • 10 Natural Ways To Help Cleanse and Detox The Body
  • variety of raw foods on table
    How A Raw Food Diet Affects The Body
  • question mark shaped steak on grill conceptual
    How A High Protein Diet Affects The Body
  • Learn How Inflammation Affects The Body (and How To Get Rid of It)
  • whole body cleanse
    20 Simple Ways to Achieve a Whole Body Cleanse without Painful Symptoms
  • 5 Ways to Clear Up Your Mind

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Free Ebook

Success! Please check your inbox to download your FREE eBook.

Reduce Chronic Inflammation Naturally!

The Ultimate Guide to Fight Inflammation and Restore Your Health!

21 Ways to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

Recent Posts

visual illustration of toxins stored in fat cells in body

How to Eliminate Toxins From Fat Cells That Are Making You Fatigued and Swollen

foot with demonstrated achilles pain

This One Stretch Relieves Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints, Achilles Pain, and Heel Pain

Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreens recalled by Johnson & Johnson

Latest Sunscreen Recall Raises Concern Over Chemicals

lemongrass plant in garden

How to Plant Lemongrass to Repel Mosquitoes

Female Reproductive System next to adrenal glands representing organs in the body responsible for hormone production

10 Natural Ways to Balance Your Hormones

freshly pressed pineapple juice

15 Impressive Health Benefits of Pineapple Juice

Popular Posts

Man spraying pesticides on tea plants with other side of image showing dry loose tea bags

Pesticides in Tea: Is Your Favorite Tea Contaminated with Harmful Chemicals?

glyphosate in wine

Monsanto’s Harmful Chemical Glyphosate Found In 100% Of California Wines Tested

whole dandelion plant with flowers and roots on cutting board on a table

Dandelions Are Not Weeds! Top 10 Health Benefits of Dandelion

johnson & johnson baby products in pharmacy

Johnson & Johnson Finally Admits: Our Baby Products Contain Cancer-Causing Ingredients

10 Plants That Attract Dragonflies for Mosquito Control

companion planting chart

Use This Companion Planting Chart to Help Your Garden Thrive

France Bans Neonicotinoid Pesticides

France Bans All Five Neonicotinoid Pesticides Linked to Bee Deaths

Glyphosate in Food: Complete List of Products and Brands Filled with Dangerous Weed-Killer

whales dying from plastic pollution

Whales Dying From Plastic Pollution Are a Grave Reminder to Give Up Our Addiction to Plastics

illustrated piriformis muscle showing trigger points and radiating pain

How To Get A Deep Piriformis Stretch To Get Rid of Sciatica, Hip & Lower Back Pain

RECOMMENDED

Thank you! Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription!

Want to reduce inflammation and restore your health?

Join Live Love Fruit and we'll show you how!

Footer

Stay Connected!

Follows
  • 316k Followers
  • 1.9k Followers
  • 110k Followers
  • 607 Followers
  • 11.5k Followers
  • Home
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Write For LLF
  • Contact

Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
Content on Live Love Fruit may not be reproduced in any form.
Ads provided by AdThrive. Displayed ads do not constitute endorsement or recommendation by Live Love Fruit.

Copyright © 2012 - 2022 Live Love FruitPrivacy Policy | Terms of Service | Full Disclaimer | Affiliate Disclosure

144 shares
  • 142