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How alcohol affects the body (and how to find healthy alternatives)

From the first sip, alcohol hits your bloodstream and starts being distributed throughout your body. Even as a casual drinker, alcohol can create serious damage to your body in the long term, both physically and emotionally.

What does alcohol really do to the body?

Alcohol affects the body holistically, causing damage to many different areas. The main areas for concern are the excretory system and digestive system.

Excretory system

Your excretory system is responsible for breaking down and eliminating waste products, like alcohol from the body. The two main organs that alcohol affects here are the pancreas and the liver.

Your liver takes the biggest hit from alcohol, as it works to break it down and release harmful toxins from your body. Over time alcohol causes serious damage to your liver cells, which can result in organ failure amongst other diseases including cirrhosis, jaundice or liver cancer. Detoxing is the first step to cleansing your liver and reducing your risk of liver related disease.

When the pancreas is under stress from alcohol, it may produce toxic substances that interfere with proper functioning. This commonly leads to inflammation, which in turn can create chronic pancreatitis.

Digestive system

When the pancreas is inflamed it can affect your bodies ability to regulate your metabolism and aid in digestion. Any damage to the digestive system may result in bloating, abdominal fullness, or diarrhea. Alcohol affects your digestive system’s ability to absorb nutrients and control bacteria; this is why it’s so important to give your body a complete break through detoxing.

Other effects on your body

From your central nervous system through to your circulatory system, alcohol can wreak havoc on all areas of your body. The liver does take the brunt of this though, as it’s core role is to break down harmful substances.

Unfortunately women are at a higher risk of alcoholic liver disease. This is due to the fact that women’s bodies tend to absorb more alcohol and take longer to process it; another reason why cleansing is so vital for your health.

Healthy alternatives to alcohol

Fortunately, alcoholic related disease can be prevented with healthy alternatives! The best place to start is through detoxing and eliminating alcohol entirely for at least 14 days. While cleansing, you can still enjoy a social alcohol-free drink that won’t wreak havoc on your health.

Avoid temptation and give your body the cleanse it needs with healthy alternatives like fruit mocktails, alcohol-free punch or sparkling water with fresh cucumber and lemon. Get creative and enjoy the countless health benefits of going alcohol free.