Chronic consumption of large amounts of alcohol can cause destruction in the body in a variety of ways. A compound in alcohol called ethanol works on a cellular level. The cells of the body need protection from outside invaders or a variety of problems can result, including cognitive deficits and heart disease.
Process
Cytokines are proteins that play multiple roles in the communication among cells and they affect inflammation. They are either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory, depending on how they work inside the cell. These proteins are involved in an intricate system of balancing the cycle of cell death, growth and movemen. Ethanol, the active ingredient of alcohol, interferes with the level of these cytokine proteins in the body, including the brain, lungs and liver, according to a 2006 article titled "Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research."
Outcomes
The chronic consumption of alcohol leads to an increased production of cytokines. In the lungs, the overproduction of cytokines is known to cause increased respiratory distress symptoms. In the liver, the overproduction of these cytokines leads to fibrosis and cirrhosis. In the brain, the same process is suspected to occur and cause neurons, or brain cells, to degenerate, according to Crews. Alcoholism was also found to be linked with cardiovascular events and overall mortality, according to a study conducted by Dr. James O'Keefe and colleagues that was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Evidence
People who consume alcohol regularly are more likely to have abnormal brain scans and have a related decline in cognitive ability. They are also known to have even more damage when vitamin B-1 deficiencies occur. Vitamin B-1 levels are decreased by alcohol consumption, which describes Wernickie-Korsakoff syndrome, according to a March 2007 paper titled "The Neurotoxicity of Alcohol."
Relationship
Ethanol in alcohol is thought to be a link in the occurrence of cancer. Alcohol is known to serve as a carrier of carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents. This is likely especially true for tobacco smoke, according to an Oxford Journals article titled "Alcohol and Cancer." When alcohol is consumed, it weakens the barrier of the cell, or the cell membrane, interfering with its transport regulation abilities.
Considerations
With chronic alcoholism, it is the acute affects of binge drinking that seem to be the most damaging versus the long-term patterns, according to O'Keefe. So, a person struggling with alcoholism is likely doing repeated damage each time he binge drinks, instead of him merely incurring small accumulations of damage over time.
References
- "Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research"; Cytokines and Alcohol; Fulton T. Crews et al.; April 2006
- "Toxicology"; The Neurotoxicity of Alcohol; Clive Harper; March 2007
- "Journal of the American College of Cardiology"; Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health; James H. O'Keefe et al.; 2007
- "Alcohol and Alcoholism"; Alcohol and Cancer; G. Poschl and H. K. Seitz; 2004
