Drinking when visiting friends and relatives has become an essential procedure. Although we all know that “drinking is bad for you”, many patients with liver and stomach problems caused by excessive drinking are still seen in major hospitals. We would like to remind our readers to drink in moderation and to act according to their abilities. In this article, let’s take a look at what harm alcoholism can do to the body. I. Brain People who love to drink must have experienced the dreaded hangover. Feelings such as nausea, dizziness, dehydration and headaches are all due to having too much to drink the night before. However, the symptoms of alcoholism start long before the hangover. In fact, alcohol may cause problems shortly after the first sip. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) says that alcohol disrupts communication between nerve cells in the brain by causing an imbalance in neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Neurotransmitter imbalances can lead to changes in mood, behavior and coordination, all of which are characteristic of alcoholism symptoms. Researchers have found that the brain can gradually adapt to alcohol-induced changes in neurotransmitter levels, but this is not a good thing; such changes make us more tolerant of alcohol, and it can promote the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs.) In 2014, about 16.3 million adults in the United States suffered from AUDs, and in 2010, alcohol abuse cost the nation$249 billion. Second, the heart The American Heart Association shows that alcohol abuse can increase levels of fat in the blood, which is called triglycerides. High levels of triglycerides promote atherosclerosis and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Chronic alcohol abuse can also lead to high blood pressure, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), cardiomyopathy (enlargement of the heart muscle) and stroke. However, some studies have also shown that moderate alcohol consumption may be beneficial to heart health. For example, a study reported in Medical News Today linked moderate alcohol intake to a lower risk of heart attack and heart failure. However, some researchers have also questioned the heart health benefits of moderate drinking, and the WHO recommends against starting to drink just to get this unproven benefit. Third, the liver The alcohol we drink is broken down by the liver so that it is removed from the body. Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to serious liver damage. Heavy alcohol intake can lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease (characterized by the accumulation of fat in the arteries), alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis (severe liver scarring and structural damage). The latter is the most serious form of liver injury caused by heavy alcohol use. According to NIAAA data, about 48% of all cirrhosis deaths in the United States in 2011 were related to alcohol intake. IV. Pancreas The pancreas is vital for digestion and energy production, delivering enzymes to the small intestine to break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. However, chronic alcohol abuse disrupts pancreatic function and those enzymes cannot be delivered to the small intestine to aid digestion, instead they are secreted into the pancreas itself. This can lead to pancreatitis, an inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels of the pancreas. About 5% of people with alcohol dependence will develop the disease. V. Alcohol and cancer A growing number of studies have found that just light to moderate alcohol intake can increase the risk of certain cancers. One study reported by MNT found that every glass of white wine consumed daily may increase the risk of melanoma by 13 percent, while earlier studies linked low alcohol intake to a higher risk of breast cancer. Other cancers that have been found to be associated with alcohol use include cancers of the mouth, esophagus, throat and liver.