Chronic consumption of large amounts of alcohol, or alcoholism, can lead to severe malnutrition. Alcohol prevents nutrients in the digestive system from converting into molecules that can transfer to the bloodstream. When nutrients do not break down properly in the digestive tract, they pass through the tract without contributing to maintenance of your body. Once inside the bloodstream, alcohol temporarily reduces liver function. Eventually, frequent alcohol consumption can cause permanent liver damage.
Normal Body Metabolism
When you eat a meal, the meal breaks down into carbohydrates, protein and fat in the digestive tract. Before these nutrients can enter the bloodstream, they must convert into molecules that can pass from the digestive tract to the bloodstream. Carbohydrates convert to glucose, protein converts to amino acids and dietary fat converts into a protein-covered fat molecule. Once these molecules enter the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes insulin to help transfer them to cells for use as energy or for storage.
Alcohol and the Digestive Tract
When alcohol, or ethanol, enters the digestive system, it blocks digestive enzymes in the stomach and intestines. This interferes with the proper conversion of nutrients into components that have the right size and shape to pass from the digestive tract to the bloodstream. Alcohol also impairs the cells on the inside of the stomach and the intestines. This prevents proper absorption of amino acids, glucose and fat molecules.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Undigested food or food components that do not enter the bloodstream as they pass through the digestive tract are excreted in the stool. As a result, many essential nutrients in the food, including essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, fail to contribute to body maintenance, movement and repair.
Frequent consumption of large amounts of alcohol can, therefore, lead to harmful nutrient deficiencies. Alcoholics' tendency to replace food with alcohol is a further contributing factor to malnutrition. Finally, alcohol itself promotes the breakdown of essential vitamins, especially vitamin A. Nutrient deficiencies weaken your immune system. Lack of sufficient calcium can soften your bones and lack of vitamins can slow down the healing of wounds and can increase the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV.
Liver Malfunction
The liver absorbs alcohol in the bloodstream to minimize intoxication in the brain. With the aid of alcohol dehydrogenase and other catalysts, the liver converts alcohol into a toxic substance called "acetaldehyde." Through further metabolic processes, the liver converts the molecule into energy, carbon dioxide and water. Though the liver has a way of processing acetaldehyde, high contents of this toxin over a long time can cause permanent liver damage.
The liver prioritizes processing toxins before engaging in its normal activities. As ethanol and the molecules it convert into are toxins, drinking even small amounts of alcohol temporarily impairs normal liver function.
