Health & Wellness

Boomer Edition | 11th Annual - 2015

Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/447803

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 56 of 83

Health and Wellness Magazine • 55 With 14.2 percent of all deaths related either to the long-term impacts of over- imbibing (liver disease, heart disease, breast cancer, etc.) or the acute effects of drunkenness (violence, motor-vehicle crashes, etc.), Colorado exceeds the national average of 10 percent, according to the study, published in June in Preventing Chronic Disease. For those who often end their day with a drink or two, how much is too much might surprise them. The report defines "excessive drinking" as eight drinks or more during the course of a week for women (who metabolize alcohol more slowly) or 15 for men. "Binge drinking" is defined as four or more drinks on one occasion for women, or five or more for men. At least three in 10 adults regularly exceed those limits, and not all of them are "alcohol-dependent or alcoholics," the CDC says. "It's shocking to see the public health impact of excessive drinking," says lead author Dr. Robert Brewer, noting that 88,000 people die prematurely each year from the habit. For some people, moderate alcohol use (one per day for women; two for men) can have health benefits, says J. Mimi Castelo, a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist with the Colorado Neurological Institute. The trouble is, many people don't know what "moderate" means, she says. "There is a sweet spot, and once you exceed it, you start to see adverse health consequences." The first organ to take a hit is the liver, which, after just one drink begins to produce extra enzymes to break down alcohol before it reaches other organs. "Alcohol is basically a poison, and your liver is designed to filter out poison," says Dennis Ballinger, a certified addictions counselor with Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network. In moderation, the liver can keep up. But even slight excess can damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and prompt fat to build up, potentially leading to fever, nausea, appetite loss, and abdominal pain, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Keep drinking excessively, and the liver can become scarred and unable to perform critical functions, like helping the body absorb nutrients. "Alcohol is basically a poison, and your liver is designed to filter out poison" — Dennis Ballinger

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Health & Wellness - Boomer Edition | 11th Annual - 2015