There are several ways heavy drinking is
affecting your body. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism (NIAAA), heavy drinking is characterised as more than four or
five drinks in a two-hour sitting.
From DNA to hormones, heavy drinking can alter
your body’s biology in a big and detrimental way. Heavy drinking bouts Change
Your DNA And Make You Crave More Alcohol
A study, published in December 2018 in the journal Alcoholism:
Clinical & Experimental Research, identified two genes that are subject to change — one affecting
the body’s biological clock and one regulating the stress response system. The
study’s authors, from Rutgers University also found that the genetic changes in
binge and heavy drinkers were associated with a higher desire for alcohol.
Increase the Risk of
Cancer — Especially of the Head, Neck, Liver, and Breast
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) cites
several studies that say heavy drinking increases chances of developing
cancer. A study published in August 2012 in the journal Annals of
Oncology shows that your
risk of cancer increases if you are a heavy drinker. A 2012 study published in October 2015 in the International
Journal of Cancer also shows that
over 5 percent of new cancer occurrences nearly 6 percent of all cancer
deaths worldwide were estimated to be attributed to alcohol. According to the NCI. heavy drinkers are 5 times more likely
than nondrinkers to contract esophageal cancer.
Affect Long-Term Memory
and Brain Structure
Reports by the American Addiction Centers. say that heavy drinkers over a long
period of time stand the risk of long term problems with brain function as well
as risk of changing the brain’s “hard wiring,” which can lead to cognitive
problems even after sobriety is attained.
Cause Hormonal
Disturbances
Binge drinking affects the body’s endocrine
system according to research published in September 2013 in the journal Endocrine
and Metabolism Clinics of North America. The study found that heavy drinking can disrupt
communication between the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems with resultant
effects like stress abnormalities, reproductive deficits, body growth defects,
and immune dysfunction.
Change the Composition
of Organisms in the Gut
Alcohol can interfere with the composition and
function of microorganisms found in the body. A study published in 2015 in the journal Alcohol
Research: Current Reviews found that chronic alcohol consumption can cause bacterial
overgrowth and imbalances in the intestine. This can cause digestive issues
like stomach pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and rosacea.
