How Alcohol Affects the Body

Alcohol extracts a heavy price from personal health. This goes for teens as well as adults. Young people who grow up in nonalcoholic homes are less likely to have problems with alcohol when they reach adulthood. A parent's example can make a big difference. So how does alcohol affects the vital parts of our body:
The Brain: Alcohol, even in small amounts, causes irreparable damage to brain cells; some die and others are altered.
The Heart: Alcohol increases the risk of hypertension, stroke, and damage to heart muscle.
The Lungs: Alcohol depresses respiratory functions.
The Reproductive System: In men, alcohol can damage cells in the testes, causing impotence, sterility, and possibly enlarged breasts. In women, alcohol can cause irregular menstrual cycles and malfunctioning of the ovaries. Alcohol has been linked to birth defects in infants and to fetal alcohol syndrome.
The Liver: Because the liver filter alcohol from the blood, alcohol affects it more than any other organ of the body:
* Excess calories in alcohol are stored as fat in the liver.
* Functioning liver cells die from alcoholic poisoning.
* Scar tissue replaces dead cells, causing cirrhosis.
The Immune System: Alcohol weakens the body's defense against infection and breast cancer.

Most likely that's the terrible effects of drinking too much alcohol. So as early as possible we should stop if not moderately drink alcohol so that we weill not suffer in the end.

Source: Health & Home- May-June 2004 issue