Alcohol Metabolism

• Unlike other foods and liquids, alcohol is not digested once it is consumed. Alcohol will travel directly into the blood, with 20 percent of it taking a straight path into the blood and the remaining 80 percent absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream. Since alcohol must dilute itself in the water of the body to travel, then any organ that contains large amounts of water such as the brain will be susceptible to its effects. Men have more muscle tissue than women, meaning that since muscle tissue has less water in it than fat tissue, women are normally affected even more by alcohol consumption than men are.
  
  

Mental Effects

• Alcohol consumption plays havoc with mental faculties. It decreases a person's thinking ability, causing an individual to make poor decisions with no regards for the consequences. The thinking process is slowed dramatically, and since alcohol is a depressant, it affects those portions of the brain that are responsible for judgment. As brain activity is slowed down, effects like lowered reaction times, impaired vision, weak muscles, poor memory and slurred speaking can result. Alcohol can cause people to experience personality changes and say and do things that they will later regret.
  
  

The Liver

• Alcohol has a drastic effect on the liver over time. The liver is the body's largest organ and performs many functions. One of them is to rid the body of toxins like alcohol. Small amounts of alcohol present no problem to a normal liver, but large amounts can bring about such medical conditions as low blood sugar, a buildup of fats and diseases like alcoholic hepatitis-inflammation of the liver. Cirrhosis is another potentially fatal liver disease that occurs when healthy liver tissue is scarred from the effects of long-term alcohol consumption, with the liver eventually unable to function.
  
  

Women and Alcohol

• Pregnant women who indulge in alcohol chance the development of birth defects in their unborn child. Bones may form incorrectly, growth may be stunted, the heart can be affected and behavioral problems can occur later in life -- among other ailments. The chance that a woman may miscarry is increased by drinking alcohol. The potential of breast cancer is also heightened by alcohol consumption.
  
  

Other Physical Effects

• Since alcohol affects the intestines and pancreas, a number of gastrointestinal ailments can be caused by its consumption. Acid in the stomach is increased by alcohol, with ulcers and gastritis a possible result. The flow of blood to muscles is reduced by alcohol, which makes them weak. The heart can become sluggish when this happens or suffer from irregular heartbeats. The immune system will also be affected by alcohol, making it much easier for foreign invaders to infect the body. Diabetes, brain damage, sexual dysfunction and malnutrition have all been linked to alcohol consumption.