Among traditional customs, parties and festivals are always closely related to drinking. We know that drinking alcohol is harmful to health, but in fact, alcohol harms not only the liver, alcohol and its metabolites can affect the physiological function of the whole body system. First of all, how to introduce the alcohol in the body “for mischief”: the chemical name of alcohol is ethanol, absorbed by the stomach and intestines into the liver, in the liver cells by two enzymes for metabolism: ethanol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. These two enzymes are produced by the liver cells, and the level of their content determines the speed of alcohol decomposition and metabolism, which is also known as the “amount of alcohol”. Most Chinese people lack the second key enzyme: acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. People who lack this enzyme cannot metabolize ethanol quickly, and instead linger at the acetaldehyde step, which causes the blushing reaction after drinking. Therefore, many people in China blush when they drink, not because they are good or bad drinkers, but because they are not able to metabolize the second step of acetaldehyde. This second step is not metabolized acetaldehyde harm is not smaller than ethanol, acetaldehyde can cause flushing, palpitations and other symptoms, in addition, studies have shown that acetaldehyde is toxic to many tissues and organs, resulting in intracellular DNA damage; Acetaldehyde is also believed to have a variety of carcinogenic effects (in animal experiments, it is useful to use acetaldehyde to do the mutagens of the cancer model). As you can see, if acetaldehyde builds up in the body, it is not only the culprit of blush, but also has many health hazards. There is talk on the Internet about what alcohol pills can be used to supplement the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to alleviate the discomfort of alcohol or make you drink a lot, I can tell you that from a medical point of view, most of those products that claim to accelerate the metabolism of alcohol are exaggerated. Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is synthesized by the cells in the body, and it works in the cells, if the innate gene is lacking, it is difficult to express it later, and it is impossible to supplement it by oral intake. What’s more, the enzyme is also a kind of protein, orally these enzymes have been digested and decomposed as protein in the stomach, and it is impossible to play a role in the decomposition and metabolism of alcohol. Acute damage: 1, acute alcohol poisoning: sometimes should be brave or good face, ingesting much more than the body can tolerate alcohol, can lead to acute alcohol poisoning manifested as confusion, coma, some time ago on the network appeared on the “spelling alcohol” can easily lead to acute alcohol poisoning; 2, acute gastritis: alcohol directly damage to the gastric mucous membrane, can lead to acute gastritis; 2, acute gastritis: alcohol directly damage to the gastric mucous membrane, can lead to acute gastritis. Acute gastritis, drinking to gastric bleeding cases are not uncommon; 3, acute pancreatitis: alcohol is caused by acute pancreatitis of the three common causes, and vomiting after drinking, alcohol-induced pancreatic reflux, etc.; 4, vomiting after drinking and misinhalation: drunkenness, confusion, neurological reflexes are affected by the vomiting can easily lead to airway misinhalation; 5, accidental injuries: drinking too much to blur the vision, slow reaction, unstable pace, loss of balance, by accidental injuries, the risk of losing the balance, and the risk of losing the balance. Loss of balance, the possibility of accidental injury is greater. Chronic damage: alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic cirrhosis: the first to bear the brunt of liver damage, after alcohol intake, more than 90% is metabolized by the liver, alcohol and its metabolites will cause metabolic disorders in liver cells, resulting in alcoholic liver fatty liver. If this damage persists, that is, long-term heavy alcohol abuse will cause cirrhosis. Our total number of hepatitis B, alcohol will greatly accelerate the process of hepatitis B and other chronic hepatitis into cirrhosis, and can make the healthy people drink directly into alcoholic cirrhosis; cirrhosis of the liver in the late stage of liver transplantation in addition to other no better way. 1, the impact on the heart: a large number of people who drink alcohol will occur cardiomyopathy, which can cause heart muscle tissue weakness and damage, and fibrous tissue proliferation, seriously affecting the function of the heart; 2, on the brain and nervous system damage: intake of alcohol on the memory, attention, judgment, function and emotional response have serious damage. Some studies have shown that whether it is light or moderate drinking, alcohol will cause different degrees of brain atrophy, long-term drinking damage to the brain may be irreversible. In addition, long-term alcohol consumption can lead to chronic atrophic gastritis, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, fetal malformation, and alcohol dependence disorders. Studies have also shown that excessive alcohol consumption can increase the prevalence of oral cancer, cancer of the pharynx, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer. Influenced by the traditional Chinese culture of “no alcohol, no table” and the need for socializing, friends who often drink often say, “I can’t do it without drinking, I can’t help it, I have to socialize.” Others will use the excuse that so-and-so has been drinking for so many years and is still in good health to justify their continued drinking. The result is generally even if you know the harm and hold the psychological fluke continue to abuse alcohol, however, because of individual differences, alcohol damage to the human body in different people have a big gap, some people long-term alcoholism is only alcoholic liver, some people have cirrhosis of the liver. For those of you who take a chance, think about this: is there scientific evidence that you can tolerate alcohol well? Those who blush when they drink lack at least the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and alcohol is metabolized only halfway. Alcoholism is always damaging to the body, some people are mild and some are severe. Our advice is to drink less and exercise more, and the next time someone urges you to drink forward this article to them. Although regular drinkers don’t always read articles like this, or even if they know about the dangers and take a chance on continuing to drink, hopefully those around them can warn them.