This week I was going to write about mineral deficiency (I'll write about it next week), but after an important conversation with a colleague, I changed course and decided to write about the effects of alcohol on the body, what it can lead to, and how you can make changes to limit your dependence on alcohol.
Firstly, I want to say that I’m not a stranger to alcohol abuse. There have been a couple of times (ahem...Covid), when I turned to excessive alcohol consumption to cope. I’m sharing this with you, because while my knowledge enables me to help you, it doesn’t make me smarter or less human than anyone else. I’ve made some of the same wrong turns in my life that many others have made, and that’s why I made the turn to help heal people. I’m a former smoker, drinker, and pot smoker (hey, I lived out west for 6 years lol). I still enjoy a couple of drinks here and there, and I don’t judge anyone else for their choices. I’m not judge and jury, I’m a holistic nutrition practitioner who genuinely cares about helping people...so on that note, let’s talk about alcohol...for real.
How Does Alcohol Affect the Body?
The importance of avoiding alcohol abuse cannot be overstated. Yes, a couple of glasses of red wine, or a beer here and there can actually have some health benefits, but as soon as consumption goes above those levels, those benefits completely disappear. Alcohol is toxic to the brain and people who abuse alcohol also tend not to be mindful of their eating habits, which leads to additional negative influence on the body. Alcohol abuse has been linked to many ailments, including the premature onset of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, liver failure, certain cancers, and more. We know that inflammation is linked with chronic diseases, and guess what? Alcohol triggers the inflammatory response in the body by metabolizing into acetaldehyde. This toxic chemical causes cell damage and oxidative stress. It doesn’t hang around for too long in the body, but the short time it does spend in the body can lead to a lot of damage. It can affect tissues and organs including the GI tract, brain, pancreas, and liver. Other ailments alcohol can lead to include addiction, emotional problems, ulcers, hepatitis, cirrhosis, pancreatitis, immune suppression, and of course death and injury from impaired judgment. It can also lead to the loss of important relationships.
Effect of Alcohol on Gut Health and Mood
Malnutrition is a major complication of long-term, excessive alcohol consumption. As the percent of kcalories from alcohol increases, the risk of nutrient deficiencies rises. My main focus areas are gut health and mood, and alcohol is one of the strongest enemies of your body’s gut health and natural mood enhancers. You can be aware of and take many nutrients that can help you, but if you drink excessively, you are still deeply harming your body’s natural production of these nutrients, limiting or eliminating any benefits from good dietary intake, and rendering any supplements you take useless. Eating well and taking supplements does not mean that if you drink carelessly there will be no consequences.
We all carry a unique mixture of microbes in the gut, and under the influence of alcohol, our gut flora will be changed, predisposing us to different health problems. These changes can actually be passed down through generations and made worse down the line. These changes are also enhanced by things such as certain medications, processed foods, and other environmental factors. It’s very difficult to avoid much of the factors that contribute to the destruction of our gut health in today’s fast paced world, but limiting alcohol intake is definitely a massive step in the right direction.
How to Limit Dependence on Alcohol
Alcohol is the greatest anti-nutrient of all, and it carries some serious statistics in the areas of suicide, divorce, domestic violence, and child abuse. There are no benefits to alcohol abuse, and it is proven to deplete almost every vitamin (A, B1, B2, B6, folate, B12, C, D, E), mineral (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium), amino acid (tryptophan, taurine, gultathione, etc), essential fat (omega-3 and 6), as well as disturbing blood sugar control, which is why many alcoholics are also diabetic.
Knowing all of this makes you wonder how something this detrimental to our physical and emotional wellbeing is promoted as heavily in our society as alcohol is. It's certainly a question worth asking.
If you drink and want to take steps towards improving your overall health, limiting or eliminating alcohol consumption can change your life, and change it quickly. By focusing on repair supplements, good mood foods & other basic supplementation, then raising your endorphin levels, we can work on helping you overcome dependence on alcohol to cope with life’s stresses.
I understand what you’re experiencing, and I can help you do this. I genuinely want to see you succeed and thrive. When you’re ready to change your life and embrace living it, I’m ready to help you succeed! Click here to book your intake, and let’s take this first step together.
*Sources:
The Inflammation Syndrome (Jack Challem)
Does Alcohol Cause Inflammation? (Lindsay Curtis, verywellhealth.com)
Staying Healthy with Nutrition (Elson M. Haas, MD)
Nutrition Science and Applications (Smolin, Grosvenor, Gurfinkel)
Gut and Psychology Syndrome (Natasha Campbell-McBride MD)
The Mood Cure (Julia Ross, MA)
Optimum Nutrition for the Mind (Patrick Holford)
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