NSC 170C1 1st Edition Lecture 19 Outline of Last LectureI. Water Outline of Current Lecture I. What is alcohol?II. EffectsIII. Consequences Current LectureI. What Is Alcohol and Why Do People Drink It?A. Alcohol is not considered an essential nutrient because your body does not need it to surviveB. Alcoholic beverages contain ethanol.i. Ethanol is made through fermentation of yeast and natural sugars in grains and fruitsii. Yeast breaks sugar into carbon dioxide and ethanoliii. Grapes provide sugar for making wineiv. Grain provides sugar when producing beerC. Liquors are made through the process of distillationi. An alcoholic beverage is heated, which vaporizes ethanolii. The vapor is collected, cooled, and condensed into a concentrated liquidD. Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Have Health Benefitsi. People Drink Alcohol to Relax, Celebrate, and Socializeii. Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce risk for heart disease and risk of dying in general, for middle-aged and older adultsiii. Moderate consumption is defined as 1 drink/day for women and up to 2 drinks/day for meniv. Red wine and dark beer contains flavonoids, phytochemicals, and antioxidants that can help reduce buildup of LDL (bad) cholesterol in arteriesv. Inhibits “stickiness” of platelets and increases HDL (good) cholesterol levelvi. Protective benefits limited to women older than 55 years and men olderthan 45 yearsE. The standard drink is:i. One 12-ounce beerii. One 1.5-ounce shot of liquoriii. One 5-ounce glass of wineII. Metabolism of AlcoholA. You Absorb Alcohol in Your Stomach and Small Intestinei. 20 percent of alcohol consumed is absorbed in your stomach; 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestineB. The amount and type of food in the stomach determines how long alcohol lingers before entering the small intestinei. Food in the stomach will delay the arrival of alcohol to the small intestineC. You Metabolize Alcohol Primarily in Your Liveri. Some alcohol is metabolized in the stomach by alcohol dehydrogenaseii. The majority of alcohol, however, is metabolized in the liverD. Enzymes in the liver take about 1½ to 2 hours to break down one alcoholic drinkE. Metabolism of alcohol occurs at a steady rate regardless of the amount consumedF. Alcohol Circulates in Your Bloodi. If the liver cannot handle all of the alcohol you’ve consumed at once, alcohol will enter the bloodstreamii. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC): the amount of alcohol in your blood, measured in grams per deciliter of blood (expressed as a percentage)iii. The more you drink, the higheryour BACiv. The amount of alcohol on yourbreath correlates with BACIII. The Effects of Alcohol on the Brain A. Alcohol is a depressant, a substance that slows the transmission of nerve impulsesi. Slows reaction time to stimuliii. Confuses thoughtsiii. Impairs judgmentiv. Induces sleepinessB. The more you drink, the more areas of the brain are affectedC. BAC can continue to rise even after unconsciousnessD. If enough alcohol is consumed, brain stem function can be suppressed, resulting in deathE. Women Are More Susceptible Than Men to the Effects of Alcoholi. Women have increased susceptibility due to:ii. 20 to 30 percent less alcohol dehydrogenase in their stomach than meniii. Less body muscle mass, therefore less body wateriv. Every alcoholic beverage that a man consumes is equivalent to about 1⅓alcoholic beverages for a womanF. Alcohol Can Disrupt Sleep and Cause Hangoversi. Drinking before bed disrupts your sleep cycle, causing you to awaken in the middle of the nightii. Being tired and drinking alcohol exacerbates alcohol’s sedating effectsiii. Reduces reaction time and alertnessG. A hangover describes the symptoms following a night of heavy drinkingi. Headache, fatigue, nausea, thirst, rapid heartbeat, tremors, sweating, dizziness, depression, and anxietyii. Alcohol is a diuretic; it causes dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.iii. Time is the only true remedy for hangover symptoms.H. Binge Drinkingi. When men consume 5 or more drinks or women consume 4 or more drinks in a short timeii. Associated with:a) Increased risk of unintentional injuries, hypertension, heart attack, sexually transmitted diseases, suicide, homicide, and child abuseiii. Blackouts: periods of time a person cannot remember even though he or she may have been consciousiv. Alcohol poisoning: when BAC rises to such an extreme level that central nervous system function, breathing, and heart rate are affectedv. Alcohol tolerance: brain becomes less sensitive to alcohol and more is needed to get the same intoxicating effectIV. Alcohol Consequences A. Alcohol Can Interact with Hormonesi. Alcohol negatively affects bone-strengthening hormones, which can increase risk of osteoporosisii. In women, alcohol can increase levels of estrogen, which may increase risk of breast canceriii. Alcohol can interfere with reproductive hormones and may contribute to male and female sexual dysfunctionB. Alcohol May Lead to Overnutrition and Malnutritioni. Alcohol provides 7 calories/gramii. Mixers and “bar food” consumed while drinking can lead to excess caloric intake and weight gainiii. Excess alcohol consumption is associated with increased fat and weight around the stomachiv. Compensating for calories in alcoholic beverages by cutting out more nutritious foods will cause you to fall short of nutrient needsv. Routine drinking can affect how the body absorbs protein, zinc, magnesium, and many vitamins and may contribute to malnutritionC. Too Much Alcohol Costs You Good Nutritioni. Alcohol Can Harm Your Digestive Organs, Heart, and Liveri. Inhibits the ability of the esophagus to contractii. Acidic stomach juices flow back up into the esophagusiii. Chronic inflammation can lead to esophageal cancerii. Risk is further increased in smokersiii. Heavy drinkers have increased incidence of gastritis and stomach ulcersiv. Can affect beating and rhythm of heart, damage heart tissue, and increase risk for hypertensionD. Alcohol Can Harm Your Liveri. Can damage your liver and cause alcoholic liver diseasea) Stage 1: Fatty liver1. Can result from just a few days of excessive drinking2. Liver delays metabolism of fat and othernutrients in order to focus on metabolizing alcohol3. By-products of alcohol metabolism further contribute to fatty buildup in liver4. Can reverse itself if alcohol consumption is stoppedb) Stage 2: Alcoholic hepatitis1. Liver is irritated by harmful by-products of alcohol