Alcohol

 

 

 

 

 Holy Quran said in

 [the cow versa ]

 

[219] They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." They ask thee how much they are to spend; say: "What is beyond your needs." Thus doth Allah make clear to you His Signs: in order that ye may consider.

 

What is alcohol?

Alcohol has been made for thousands of years - it's a compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, produced when glucose is fermented by yeast. During the making of alcoholic drinks, the alcohol content is controlled by the amount of yeast and the duration of fermentation.

Fruits are used to make wines and ciders, and cereals such as barley and rye form the basis of beers and spirits. These substances provide the flavor associated with each individual drink.

Alcohol is a drug with the immediate effect of altering mood. Because drinking makes people feel relaxed, happy and even euphoric, many might find it surprising to learn that alcohol is in fact a depressant. As such, it switches off the part of the brain that controls judgment, leading to loss of inhibitions. As most people are aware alcohol also affects physical co-ordination.

The more alcohol consumed the greater the effect - speech becomes slurred, vision blurred, balance is lost and movements are clumsy. Apart from cases of extreme intoxication, these effects are short-term. It is the liver that breaks down and eliminates alcohol from the body, and it takes about an hour to deal with one unit.

Alcohol - the benefits and the risks

Alcohol consumed in moderation is thought to be beneficial in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Indeed, alcohol consumption, in conjunction with high intakes of fruit and vegetables, or red wine, may well explain the so-called 'French paradox.' The French diet is considered to be very high in fat, especially saturated fat, and yet the death rate from coronary heart disease is apparently lower than that of any other developed country.

So what are we saying? Reach for your wine glass? The key word here is moderation. The World Health Organization in 1997 concluded that the reduced risk from coronary heart disease was found at the level of one drink, consumed every second day.

Alcohol, even when consumed in moderation, has been linked to a very wide range of other ailments and diseases, such as increased risk of mouth, pharyngeal and oesophageal cancers (this risk being greatly increased if combined with smoking). Furthermore, alcohol probably increases the risk of colorectal and breast cancer.

The list doesn't stop there: high blood pressure; gastrointestinal complications, such as gastritis, ulcers, and liver disease; and a depletion of certain vitamins and minerals are all caused by alcohol consumption. Of course, excessive alcohol can also have detrimental social and psychological consequences

[91] Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?

Book 23, Number 4956:

'A'isha reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was asked about Bit, whereupon he said: Every drink that causes intoxication is forbidden

The first few hours after drinking:

One of the most rapid affects of alcohol is on the central nervous system (CNS), which controls a range of vital body functions not least the sense organs, muscles controlling speech as well as the sweat glands in the skin.

Under normal circumstances the CNS receives sensory information from organs such as the eyes and ears, analyses it and then initiates an appropriate response such as contracting a muscle.

But intoxication interferes with the CNS ability to analyze sensory information resulting in the typical symptoms of being drunk such as disturbed balance, slurred speech, blurred vision, heavy sweating and the dulling of our sensation of pain, which is why alcohol in the past was used as an anaesthetic.

Alcohol also affects the outer layer of the brain, the frontal cortex, the region concerned with conscious thought which is why people under the influence of alcohol often lose their inhibitions.

Alcohol is also a diuretic, as it stops the production of the body's anti-diuretic hormone.

The kidneys direct fluids straight to the bladder, making you urinate excessively and speeding up the loss of fluid from the body causing dehydration.

Most of the nasty symptoms of a hangover including headache, dizziness, thirst, paleness and tremors are caused by dehydration.

Alcohol also affects the cerebellum in the brain which controls balance and coordination as well as eye movements.

Therefore high alcohol consumption can disrupt the brain's judgment of distances and heights and cause dizziness.

The liver is the main organ that gets rid of alcohol by breaking it down.

It metabolizes about 90% of the alcohol in our body while only about 10% is excreted through either our urine or breath.

The liver metabolizes alcohol, at the rate of one to two units per hour.

A unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of beer or lager, 25mls (a standard shot) of spirits in a pub or 125mls of red or white wine.

When a person drinks the body responds to large quantities of increased glucose in the system by producing more insulin which removes the glucose.

Once the process has started, the insulin carries on working removing glucose from the blood.

Low blood glucose levels are responsible for that shaky feeling, heavy sweating, dizziness and blurred vision. Low glucose levels also result in feeling tired.

To overcome this feeling of lethargy and tiredness the body will be craving a carbohydrate boost which is why many people feel hungry when they have been drinking.

A Few Hours Later:

Although people often seem to crash out and sleep after drinking, there is evidence to show that after drinking people's quality of sleep will be effected through dehydration.

Alcohol also interferes with sleeping rhythms.

Therefore, even though someone who has been drinking might look as if they are crashed out, they will not be getting the deep sleep that is needed to recharge their batteries.

People are still likely to feel tired after sleeping following drinking as they will have missed out on quality sleep.

Alcohol relaxes the pharyngeal muscles, in the back of the mouth, increasing the likelihood of snoring.

The Next Day:

The liver is still breaking down alcohol in the body and therefore a breathalyser test could still be positive in the morning.

The toxicity of alcohol can irritate the stomach causing gastritis (chronic stomach upset) often resulting in retching and vomiting.

The toxic effect of alcohol can also cause inflammation of the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach, causing heartburn.

Alcohol often affects the large bowel. The small and large intestine reabsorb salt and water but alcohol interferes with this process often causing diarrhea.

Alcohol plunders our stores of vitamins and minerals, which need to be in the correct balance for the body to function normally.

It seriously disturbs the appropriate balance of minerals in the blood including potassium along with calcium, and sodium which are known as ions, is maintained by the kidneys.

The level of each ion must be maintained within narrow limits but dehydration caused by drinking, can affect the concentration of ions by draining potassium from the body, resulting in thirst, muscle cramps, dizziness and faintness.

The liver needs water to get rid of toxins from the body but as alcohol acts as a diuretic there will not be sufficient amounts in the body, so the liver is forced to divert water from other organs including the brain which causes the throbbing headaches.

Not only is alcohol toxic but the liver also produces more toxins in the body as a by-product during the breaking down process of alcohol.

When the liver is metabolizing alcohol it produces acetaldehyde, a vinegar like substance which has toxic effects on liver itself, the brain and the stomach lining, resulting in severe headache, nausea, vomiting and heartburn and the feeling of being unwell.

Our bodies produce enzymes to attack these toxic agents but they only work at set rates thus the accumulation in our body caused by excess drinking and the build up that remains in our body the next day, makes us feel ill.

 

Alcohol and Hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers that control and coordinate the functions of all tissues and organs. Each hormone is secreted from a particular gland and distributed throughout the body to act on tissues at different sites. Two areas of the brain, the hypothalamus and the pituitary, release hormones, as do glands in other parts of the body, such as the thyroid, adrenal glands, gonads, pancreas, and parathyroid. For hormones to function properly, their amount and the timing of their release must be finely coordinated, and the target tissues must be able to respond to them accurately. Alcohol can impair the functions of the hormone-releasing glands and of the target tissues, thereby causing serious medical consequences.

Hormones control four major areas of body function: production, utilization, and storage of energy; reproduction; maintenance of the internal environment (e.g., blood pressure and bone mass); and growth and development. This Alcohol Alert describes how, by interfering with hormone actions, alcohol can alter blood sugar levels and exacerbate or cause diabetes (1-4); impair reproductive functions (5,6); and interfere with calcium metabolism and bone structure, increasing the risk of osteoporosis (7). Conversely, hormones also may affect alcohol consumption by influencing alcohol-seeking behavior.

Alcohol Impairs Regulation of Blood Sugar Levels

The sugar glucose is the main energy source for all tissues. Glucose is derived from three sources: from food; from synthesis (manufacture) in the body; and from the breakdown of glycogen, a form of glucose that the body stores in the liver. Hormones help to maintain a constant concentration of glucose in the blood. This is especially important for the brain because it cannot make or store glucose but depends on glucose supplied by the blood. Even brief periods of low glucose levels (hypoglycemia) can cause brain damage.

Two hormones that are secreted by the pancreas and that regulate blood glucose levels are insulin and glucagon. Insulin lowers the glucose concentration in the blood; glucagon raises it. Because prevention of hypoglycemia is vital for the body, several hormones from the adrenal glands and pituitary back up glucagon function.

Alcohol consumption interferes with all three glucose sources and with the actions
of the regulatory hormones. Chronic heavy drinkers often have insufficient dietary intake of glucose (8). Without eating, glycogen stores are exhausted in a few hours (1). In addition, the body's glucose production is inhibited while alcohol is being metabolized (2). The combination of these effects can cause severe hypoglycemia 6 to 36 hours after a binge- drinking episode (1).

Even in well-nourished people, alcohol can disturb blood sugar levels. Acute alcohol consumption, especially in combination with sugar, augments insulin secretion and causes temporary hypoglycemia (9). In addition, studies in healthy subjects (10) and insulin-dependent diabetics (3) have shown that acute alcohol consumption can impair the hormonal response to hypoglycemia.

Chronic heavy drinking, in contrast, has been associated with excessive blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia). Chronic alcohol abuse can reduce the body's responsiveness to insulin and cause glucose intolerance in both healthy individuals (11) and alcoholics with liver cirrhosis (12). In fact, 45 to 70 percent of patients with alcoholic liver disease are glucose intolerant or are frankly diabetic (1). In animals, chronic alcohol administration also increases secretion of glucagon and other hormones that raise blood g glucose levels (13).

Alcohol consumption can be especially harmful in people with a predisposition to hypoglycemia, such as patients who are being treated for diabetes (3,4). Alcohol can interfere with the management of diabetes in different ways. Acute as well as chronic alcohol consumption can alter the effectiveness of hypoglycemic medications (14,15). Treatment of diabetes by tight control of blood glucose levels is difficult in alcoholics, and both hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes are common (4). In a Japanese study, alcoholics with diabetes had a significantly lower survival rate than other alcoholics (16).

Alcohol Impairs Reproductive Functions

The human reproductive system is regulated by many hormones. The most important are androgens (e.g., testosterone) and estrogens (e.g., estradiol). They are synthesized mainly by the testes and the ovaries and affect reproductive functions in various target tissues. Other reproductive hormones are synthesized in the hypothalamus and pituitary. Although men and women produce many of the same hormones, their relative concentrations and their functions vary.

In men, reproductive hormones are responsible for sexual maturation, sperm development and thus fertility, and various aspects of male sexual behavior. In women, hormones promote the development of secondary sexual characteristics, such as breast development and distribution of body hair; regulate the menstrual cycle; and are necessary to maintain pregnancy. Chronic heavy drinking can interfere with all these functions. Its most severe consequences in both men and women include inadequate functioning of the testes and ovaries, resulting in hormonal deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, and infertility (5,6).

Alcohol is directly toxic to the testes, causing reduced testosterone levels in men. In a study of normal healthy men who received alcohol for 4 weeks, testosterone levels declined after only 5 days and continued to fall throughout the study period (17). Prolonged testosterone deficiency may contribute to a "femininization" of male sexual characteristics, for example breast enlargement (18).

In addition, animal studies have shown that acute alcohol administration affects the release of hormones from the hypothalamus and pituitary (5). Even without a detectable reduction of testosterone levels, changes in these hormones can contribute to the impairment of male sexual and reproductive functions (19). Alcohol also may interfere with normal sperm structure and movement by inhibiting the metabolism of vitamin A (20), which is essential for sperm development.

In perimenopausal women, chronic heavy drinking can contribute to a multitude of reproductive disorders. These include cessation of menstruation, irregular menstrual cycles, menstrual cycles without ovulation, early menopause, and increased risk of spontaneous abortions (6,21,22). These dysfunctions can be caused by alcohol's interfering directly with the hormonal regulation of the reproductive system or indirectly through other disorders associated with alcohol abuse, such as liver disease, pancreatic disease, malnutrition, or fetal abnormalities (6).

Although most of these reproductive problems were found in alcoholic women, some also were observed in women classified as social drinkers, who drank about three drinks per day during a 3-week study (23). A significant number of these women had abnormal menstrual cycles and a delay or lack of ovulation.

Alcohol also affects reproductive hormones in postmenopausal women. After menopause, estradiol levels decline drastically because the hormone is no longer synthesized in the ovaries, and only small amounts are derived from the conversion of testosterone in other tissues. This estradiol deficiency has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis in post menopausal women (24). Alcohol can increase the conversion of testosterone into estradiol (25). Accordingly, postmenopausal women who drank (24,26) were found to have higher estradiol levels than abstaining women. Studies have shown that in postmenopausal women, three to six drinks per week may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (27) without significantly impairing bone quality (24) or increasing the risk of alcoholic liver disease (28) or breast cancer (29).

Alcohol Impairs Calcium Metabolism and Bone Structure

Calcium exists in two forms in the body. The main reservoirs are the bones and teeth, where the calcium content determines the strength and the stiffness of the bones. The rest of the body's calcium is dissolved in the body fluids. Calcium is important for many body functions, including communication between and within cells. The overall calcium levels depend on how much calcium is in the diet, how much is absorbed into the body, and how much is excreted. Calcium absorption, excretion, and distribution between bones and body fluids are regulated by several hormones, namely parathyroid hormone (PTH); vitamin D-derived hormones; and calcitonin, which is made by specific cells in the thyroid.

Alcohol can interfere with calcium and bone metabolism in several ways. Acute alcohol consumption can lead to a transient PTH deficiency and increased urinary calcium excretion, resulting in loss of calcium from the body (30). Chronic heavy drinking can disturb vitamin D metabolism, resulting in inadequate absorption of dietary calcium (31).

Studies in alcoholics also have shown that alcohol is directly toxic to bone-forming cells and inhibits their activity (32-34). In addition, chronic heavy drinking can adversely affect bone metabolism indirectly, for example by contributing to nutritional deficiencies of calcium or vitamin D (7). Liver disease and altered levels of reproductive hormones, both of which can be caused by alcohol, also affect bone metabolism (7).

Calcium deficiency can lead to bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is characterized by a substantial loss of bone mass and, consequently, increased risk of fractures. It affects 4 million to 6 million mainly older Americans, especially women after menopause. In alcoholics, the risk of osteoporosis is increased (35). Because many falls are related to alcohol use (36), adverse alcohol effects on bone metabolism pose a serious health problem.

Studies with abstinent alcoholics have found that alcohol-induced changes in bone metabolism, including toxic effects on bone-forming cells, are at least partially reversible after cessation of drinking (32,33,37,38).

Hormones May Influence Alcohol-Seeking Behavior

The effects of alcohol on different hormonal pathways may in turn influence alcohol-
seeking behavior. For example, in animals, alcohol-seeking behavior appears to be regulated in part through a system called the renin-angiotensin system, which controls blood pressure and salt concentrations in the blood. In rats, activation of this system through alcohol consumption caused the animals to reduce their alcohol intake (39). The mechanism and relevance of this effect are currently under investigation.