Knowing about liquor and its 4 side effects on the body

Most people probably only know alcoholic drinks as much as beer, wine, or wine . In fact, there are many types of alcoholic drinks depending on how they are processed. One type of alcoholic beverage that many people consume is liquor. Yes, liquor is an alcoholic drink that is widely consumed as a relaxing drink when hanging out with the people closest to it because it has a delicious and distinctive taste. Check out information about liquor including its side effects for the body below.

Is that liquor?

Spirit alias liquor is an alcoholic drink from the fermentation of grains, fruits, or vegetables which are then processed using distillation techniques (distillation) without added sugar. This distillation process is carried out to purify and remove the water component so as to obtain a higher alcohol concentration.

Therefore, most liquor drinks have an alcohol content of about 20 percent to 90 percent higher than other types of alcoholic beverages that do not use the distillation stage. The high alcohol content also makes these types of alcoholic drinks tend to have a bitter taste. Some examples of liquor types are soju, vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, brandy, tequila, and so on.

Health dangers of consuming excessive liquor

Basically, liquor, like other types of alcoholic drinks, can be dangerous to health if consumed in excessive amounts. Some of the health risks that may occur if you excessively consume alcoholic beverages, such as liquor, are:

1. Digestive system disorders

Drinking too much alcohol can cause the activity of the digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas to become abnormal. Over time this condition can cause inflammation called pancreatitis.

In addition, alcohol can also cause stomach inflammation (gastritis), which will hinder the smooth digestion of essential food and nutrients, while increasing the risk of stomach and intestinal cancer. If not treated properly, both of these conditions can develop into chronic disease and lead to serious complications and even death.

2. Liver damage

The liver is an organ that helps break down and remove harmful substances from the body. Meanwhile, alcohol itself is the liver's worst enemy. If you consume large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time, it can lead to chronic liver inflammation and liver disease.

The habit of drinking too much alcohol can create scarring and permanent damage to the liver, resulting in you developing cirrhosis of the liver. When the liver gets more and more damaged, it will be difficult for your body to get rid of waste or toxins. As a result, you risk liver failure, even death. Women are more susceptible to liver damage from consuming too much alcohol than men.

3. Increase blood sugar

The pancreas helps regulate insulin use and response to blood glucose. When your pancreas and liver don't function properly, you are at risk for low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. A damaged pancreas can also make your body produce less insulin. As a result, you are prone to hyperglycemia, or too much sugar in the blood.

If your body can't manage and balance blood sugar levels, you may experience greater complications and side effects related to diabetes. Therefore, it is very important for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia not to drink excessive amounts of alcohol.

4. Central nervous system damage

Alcohol is a substance that can affect the central nervous system. The central nervous system itself is in the brain and is in charge of carrying out various important body functions. As a result, you can experience behavioral disorders due to unstable neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that are responsible for delivering messages between nerves.

You're also more likely to experience distraction mood and emotions. Distraction mood due to frequent drinking of alcohol also causes the brain difficult to regulate time for sleep and the body's energy balance. If you are already very drunk, you may also begin to experience symptoms of psychosis such as babbling and hallucinations.

Chronic and severe alcohol abuse can also cause permanent brain damage. This can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a brain disorder that affects memory. This condition will make you unable to remember well, even though you no longer drink alcohol.