Tuesday 7 July 2009

~*The Magical world of Alcohol*~


“She was boring. It was our first date, so I decided to screw it up and drink as much as I can…”

“I succeeded in the project, I needed to celebrate that, so I drank till dawn…”

“He cheated on me and left me the next week, so I decided to drink until I forgot about him…”

“It was New Years eve, all I can recall is the location and the date, I was too drunk to remember your face…”

From family dinners to parties, to events and night escapes. Alcohol is always there at your service. In your happiest days or in your worst ones, it would always make you feel better by giving you a blurrier vision for a better projection, providing you with a feeling of euphoria and encouraging social interactions. Hence, should alcohol be added to the list of essential nutrients that our body needs if it produces that magic effect?


*The Anti-nutrient Nutrient*
----------------------------------

The nutrients that our body needs are Carbohydrates , Proteins , Fats , Vitamins and Minerals and Water.

Carbohydrates , Proteins and Fats provide us with calories and calories provide energy to our bodies to function.

1 g of Carbohydrates provides 4 Calories

1 g of Proteins provides 4 Calories

1 g of Fat provides 9 Calories


The vitamin, mineral, and water content add to the nutritional value for each of these energy sources but do not provide any calories

1 g of Alcohol provides 7 Calories

Alcohol doesn’t provide you with vitamins or minerals, and most of the time replaces nutrient rich foods, interfering with their absorption.



*The Making Of*
--------------------

Alcohol is made through a process called fermentation, which is the phenomenon where yeast breaks sugar down into Ethanol and Carbon dioxide.

This process is done with the absence of air.

Once complete, the Carbon dioxide gas bubbles out into the air leaving ethanol and water behind.

Distilled spirits, such as vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey, are fermented and then distilled to separate the ethanol from the water.

Various sources of sugar are used in these processes resulting in different forms of alcohol:

The sugar from crushed grapes results in the making of Wine

Malted barley results in the making of Beer

Sugar cane or molasses result in the making of Rum

Grain, potatoes, beets, molasses result in the making of Vodka.



*How is Alcohol Metabolized*
-----------------------------------

When a person drinks an alcoholic beverage, about 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and about 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestine. How fast the alcohol is absorbed depends upon several things:


* The concentration of alcohol in the beverage - The greater the concentration, the faster the absorption.

* The type of drink - Carbonated beverages tend to speed up the absorption of alcohol.

* Whether the stomach is full or empty - Food slows down alcohol absorption.


After absorption, the alcohol enters the bloodstream and dissolves in the water of the blood. The blood carries the alcohol throughout the body. The alcohol from the blood then enters and dissolves in the water inside each tissue of the body (except fat tissue, as alcohol cannot dissolve in fat). Once inside the tissues, alcohol exerts its effects on the body. The observed effects depend directly on the blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which is related to the amount of alcohol consumed. The BAC can rise significantly within 20 minutes after having a drink.



*Alcohol Effects: Men vs. Women*
----------------------------------------

When you compare men and women of the same height, weight and build, men tend to have more muscle and less fat than women. Because muscle tissue has more water than fat tissue, a given dose or amount of alcohol will be diluted more in a man than in a woman. Therefore, the blood alcohol concentration resulting from that dose will be higher in a woman than in a man, and the woman will feel the effects of that dose of alcohol sooner than the man will.


In the stomach, the enzyme Alcohol Dehydrogenase, begins some of the metabolism of Alcohol. Women have less of this enzyme than men, this is the reason for which Alcohol passes through their stomachs and into their bloodstream quicker than in men.

Women metabolize about 10% of the Alcohol ingested while men metabolize about 30%.



*How does it leave the body*
---------------------------------


Once absorbed by the bloodstream, the alcohol leaves the body in three ways:


* The kidney eliminates 5 percent of alcohol in the urine.

* The lungs exhale 5 percent of alcohol, which can be detected by breathalyzer devices.

* The liver chemically breaks down the remaining alcohol into acetic acid.


As a rule of thumb, an average person can eliminate 0.5 oz (15 ml) of alcohol per hour. So, it would take approximately one hour to eliminate the alcohol from a 12 oz (355 ml) can of beer.



The BAC increases when the body absorbs alcohol faster than it can eliminate it. So, because the body can only eliminate about one dose of alcohol per hour, drinking several drinks in an hour will increase your BAC much more than having one drink over a period of an hour or more.



The consumption of one drink will result in a peak in BAC within 35 to 45 minutes.

Once you stop drinking, your blood Alcohol level decreases by about 0.01% per hour.

You are legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.8.


Drinking slowly would allow the alcohol to be collected by the liver and processed

Drinking rapidly, would allow the alcohol to bypass the liver and to flow for a while through the rest of the body and the brain.

*Alcohol in the brain*
--------------------------

First of all,sedates the reasoning part then, with continued drinking: the speech and vision centers of the brain become sedated.
Still more drinking: affects the cells of the brain responsible for large muscle control (weave when trying to walk) and, finally: the conscious brain becomes completely subdued and the person passes out.
A higher dose would anesthetize the deepest brain centers that control breathing and heartbeat causing death.

*Vomiting Reflex*
----------------------

Ethanol is a toxin and a too-high dose of alcohol triggers one of the body’s primary defense against poison : vomiting
When alcohol arrives gradually, and is diluted enough in a beverage the vomiting reflex is delayed, and the alcohol is absorbed.

*The Restroom Effect*
---------------------------

Alcohol depresses the brain’s production of antidiuretic hormone that is responsible of holding the water in the body,leading to :
• An increase in the urine output
• A mineral loss of :Magnesium , Potassium,Calcium and Zinc

*Effect on blood sugar*
---------------------------

The primary hormones involved in maintaining a healthy blood glucose level are Insulin and Glucagon.
When your blood sugar begins to drop, your body can respond by making more blood sugar or burning up stored sugar.
When your blood sugar begins to Rise, additional Insulin, is secreted to bring your levels back to a healthy range.

Studies have shown that, alcohol interferes with all three sources of glucose and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.
The greatest impact is seen in those who drink heavily on a frequent basis.
Excessive alcohol consumption can decrease insulin's effectiveness, resulting in high blood sugar levels.
One study showed that 45% to 70% of people with alcoholic liver disease had either glucose intolerance or diabetes.
When you’re hangover

Since, Alcohol is a diuretic and,you lose far more water in your urine than you are taking in the drink itself. Dehydration causes the brain to shrink away from the skull slightly.
This triggers pain sensors on the outside surface of your brain.

Vital electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium are excreted from the body with the urine. These minerals help keep the heart beating and dangerous cardiac arrhythmias can occur after heavy drinking.

Alcohol lowers your blood sugar levels as glucose is excreted in the urine. Along with the late night, this contributes to extensive yawning the following day.

Free radicals are harmful molecules formed in the liver as it struggles to break down ethanol. Usually, these are seen off by an anti-oxidant called glutathione but its reserves can run low after a drinking session.

The general advice is to drink plenty of water, possibly even a sports drink to rebalance those electrolytes and go back to bed.


**My recommended Alcoholic drink**
---------------------------------------------

Wine "strawberries , cherries and an angel's kiss in spring My summer wine is really made from all these things" this famous song by Nancy Sinatra uncovers the seduction by the pleasure of drinking wine. It helps you relax and puts you in a good mood. Wine definitely promotes gracious living, since la joie de vivre for most people comes via the table (through social eating and drinking). Plus, there's the pleasure of looking at the color in the glass, smelling the wine, sipping it, and enjoying its wonderful aftertaste.In addition,it is less caloric than any other alcoholic beverage.On average,a glass of white wine contains around 77 calories.A glass of rosé has around 80 calories and a glass of red wine has 85 calories.

Scientists have long known that a moderate intake of alcohol, and red wine in particular, can raise your good cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and thin your blood. This is thought to be one of the primary cardiovascular benefits from wine (red and white), as well as hard liquor and beer.

Non-alcoholic phytochemicals in wine, such as flavanoids and resveratrol, act as antioxidants and prevent molecules known as “free radicals” from causing cellular damage in the body. is associated with a lowered risk of heart disease and other benefits. More recently, scientists began to suspect,that,drinking up to half a glass of wine daily may increase longevity by 5 years in men according to the results of a study reported online first in the April 30 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The key to this enjoyment is moderation, but what's the right amount for you? The best rule is not to consume more than a glass or two a day.

Enjoy ' ~*My Summer Wine*~

No comments:

Followers