Drinking alcohol is an extremely popular pastime, and that’s likely why there are so many pubs, bars and clubs across the globe. However; just because drinking alcohol is popular, it doesn’t mean it’s good for your body or mind in any way, shape or form. In fact, alcohol has so many potential side effects, and drinking regularly can actually put you at serious risk.
In this article, 4 different reasons why you should cut your alcohol intake will be discussed in detail. With any luck, this information will help you to make a smarter choice the next time you’re craving a glass of something, encouraging you to say no to alcohol for the sake of your well-being.
So, if you’re interested in learning about some of the adverse reactions that can occur as a result of regular drinking, then read on to uncover more information. You’ll be kicking alcohol to the curb before you know it!
Alcohol Is Terrible For Your Kidneys
It has to be said that alcohol can have a devastating impact on your kidneys, especially when you consume a high volume of alcohol in a short time frame. Your kidneys are there to filter out harmful substances from your blood, and one damaging substance that it actively attempts to filter out is alcohol. However, alcohol can actually lead to changes in the function of your kidneys, limiting their ability to filter your blood as is required. Besides filtering your blood, your kidneys perform a number of other important tasks. One such task is maintaining the right amount of water in your body, but alcohol can impact on their ability to do this. Alcohol dehydrates the body, which in turn can affect the normal function of all of your cells and organs, including your kidneys. It’s important to realize that drinking too much alcohol can also mess with your blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a common cause of kidney disease. It’s clear to see that alcohol and your kidneys just don’t gel, so if you want to look after your organs then you need to take steps to limit your drinking sooner rather than later.
Alcohol Causes Low Mood & Depression
Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it alters the balance of chemicals in your brain leading to symptoms like low mood, irritability and potentially even suicidal thoughts. Drinking heavily and regularly is associated with depression, as drinking more than the recommended limit of 14 units a week has a negative impact on your brain chemistry and subsequent mental health. Alcohol actually slows down many of the processes that take part inside your brain and central nervous system, and this is why you will initially feel less inhibited. Although you might feel more relaxed to begin with when you start out a drinking session, these effects will wear off fast leaving you with confusion and upset, likely leading you to drink more and more. If you use alcohol to mask any feelings of depression, then there’s a huge risk that you can become reliant on it. Alcohol dependence is almost always coupled with upsetting and difficult mental health issues, so it’s best to work towards limiting your intake before alcohol can impact your long term well-being.
Alcohol Limits Fertility & Worsens Gynaecological Health
Alcohol can directly impact on your fertility no matter whether you are male or female. For men, it can decrease their sperm quality, reduce their testicular size, decrease libido and even less to impotence – all of which can limit fertility drastically. For women, alcohol can have a more systemic response, affecting the reproductive hormones and causing abnormalities in the menstrual cycle as well as an increased risk of miscarriage and worsened gynaecological health. Alcohol disrupts a woman’s natural hormonal balance inside the reproductive system, which can in turn cause menstrual irregularities, and even trigger menstrual cycles where ovulation fails to take place. It’s important to note that period pain can be directly linked to how much alcohol you have consumed in the lead up to your menstrual cycle starting, and drinking alcohol can increase the intensity and impact of most gynecological conditions including extreme period pain. You might also be asking, can alcohol cause a UTI? The short answer is yes, so if you want to protect your fertility and overall reproductive or gynecological health, then avoiding alcohol is something you should no doubt consider.
Alcohol Causes Weight Gain
It’s common to see heavy drinkers boasting a particularly round beer belly or a swollen chin-neck area, but even those who don’t consume large amounts of alcohol can still be subjecting themselves to an increased likelihood of serious weight gain. One of the biggest reasons why alcohol can cause weight gain is the simple fact that it’s high in calories. Alcohol as a substance is a close second only to pure fat when it comes to calories, and you’d likely be surprised to find out just how many calories are in the average drink. Having a few glasses of beer or wine might seem like nothing, but in fact you could be consuming the same calories as an entire plate of food! Alcohol can also wreak havoc with your metabolism, as your body will begin to use all its energy to burn off the alcohol you’ve consumed rather than burning fat and sugar as it normally would. It also has to be said that drinking alcohol can make you feel more hungry than usual, which is exactly why so many city-center fast food outlets are open until the early hours of the morning. No matter whether you’re a heavy drinker or if you stick to one glass a night, the chances are you’re going to be gaining weight due to your drinking habit.
Cutting your alcohol intake will help to prevent all of the issues that have been mentioned in this guide. Removing alcohol from your diet and lifestyle isn’t always easy, but it is certainly more than worth it.
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