What's in alcohol that causes it to be so hard on your liver?

Question

Is there a certain chemical? and is there more risk in drinking liquor and wine/champagne as opposed to beer? if so why is that?

Answer 1

http://chemcases.com/alcohol/alc-07.htm

Answer 2

Alcohol is not unlike many other chemicals/drugs that some people ingest on a regular basis in that the toxicity primarily lies in the dosage level. For those who are able to consistently drink in moderation (not getting drunk), alcohol usually doesn't present a health risk.

However, if alcohol is consumed in sufficient quanities and/or combined with other chemicals/drugs, all bets are off.

There are those, too, who are unable consume alcohol in any amount w/o major negative consequences to their health because of pre-existing conditions.

Chemically, Alcohol is virtually the same as Ether (save for a molecule of water). Ether was once used in hospitals as a general anesthetic during surgery.

Answer 3

Metabolism of alcohol is what causes liver damage, so it doesn't make any difference what type of alcoholic beverage you drink, except that liquors contain the highest amount of alcohol, followed by wine and then beer.

Answer 4

Dear Alice,

How does the use of alcohol damage the liver?





Dear Reader,

Heavy and chronic drinking cause the liver to become fatty and this fat infiltration chokes off the supply of blood that delivers oxygen and other nutrients to liver cells causing them to eventually die. They are replaced with connective or scar tissue a nd this is called cirrhosis. This results in a drinker's reduced ability to tolerate the drug because there are progressively fewer liver cells to metabolize it. Genetic make-up plays a big role in one's susceptibility to this condition. Some alcohol us ers develop symptoms of cirrhosis after just a few years of consuming 3-4 drinks a day, while other heavy drinkers never suffer from this potential killer.

The liver performs so many vital functions that we cannot live without it. It is the largest single organ in the body and it handles the majority of the blood that flows from the intestinal tract back to the heart; stores glygogen, the body's storage fo rm of sugar for energy; and breaks down toxic compounds that occur with the body's metabolism It is very important to "take care of your liver!"

Warning signs of cirrhosis include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) and the back-up of fluid in the abdomen and lower extremities. At university health services, physicians have seen cirrhosis in men as young as 19-20 who started drinking heavily in their early teens. Here are some healthy drinking guidelines designed to reduce alcohol-related problems:


1) know that if your family has a history of alcohol and other drug use, you may be more susceptible to abuse;

2) limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day; and,

3) drink for positive reasons like a celebration, instead of relying on alcohol to relieve stress and depression.
The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information [(301)-468-2600] has free information and resources about alcohol-related health topics including disease and abuse prevention.


Alice

From www.AskAlice.com

Answer 5

There is a certain chemical in alcoholic beverages that cause it to be damaging to your liver. That chemical is the alcohol (specifically ethyl alcohol or ethanol). The ethanol gets converted in your liver to acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde will quickly degrade into toxic metabolites and free radicals which will cause a lot of damage to those cells (in this case the liver).

Acetaldehyde can be converted to acetic acid, which is then converted to acetyl coa. The majority of acetyl coa formed in this process will go towards synthesizing fats (one of the reasons for "beer guts"). The conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid is necessary so that acetaldehyde does not degrade and cause toxicity. This conversion however has a limit, so if you drink too much alcohol you will surpass the limit of this conversion to work leaving excess acetaldehyde in your liver cells which then degrades to toxic metabolites causing liver damage.

Answer 6

Ethanol breaks down cells like fermentation or deteriorating as in decomposing. The higher the alcohol content in a beverage the more ethanol to break cells down. This includes brain cells as well.