1. Alcohol and its Effect on the Brain

Tolerance and Addiction

Alcohol secretes dopamine in the brain allowing temporary pleasure, however this builds tolerance and longing, leading to addiction.

Brain Damage : A Single Glass of Alcohol Damages Brain Cells and Destroys the Frontal Lobe; the CEO of the Brain

The brain is made up of hundreds of millions of nerve cells and delivers thoughts and emotions through electrical signals and chemical reactions. Neurons send messages through the connection of the neurotransmitter, but alcohol suppresses the receptor. Alcohol reaches the brain in 6 minutes and destroys brain cells, especially those in the frontal lobe. These destroyed brain cells are genetically passed on. The frontal lobe damage is especially more serious for adolescents and gives them easy exposure to violence and addiction.

▶An adolescent with alcoholic parents has much lower frontal lobe and cerebellum activity than that of a normal adolescent. This makes it harder for the adolescent to exert self-control and make judgements like the brain of a drunk alcoholic (Journal Alcoholism： Clinical & Experimental Research, April 2012)

Why does being drunk cause slurred speech, memory loss, and the urge to cause trouble?
This is all because alcohol causes ‘Brain Demage’

• - Frontal lobe: Blurred judgement
• - Parietal lobe: Dulled senses
• - Wernicke’s area : Unable to think of words while speaking
• - Cerebellum : Stumble while walking
• - Broca’s area : Slurred speech
• - Limbic system : Serious mood swings
• - Hippocampus : Unable to recall memory
• - Brainstem : Death from respiratory paralysis

2. Various Digestive Disorders

The Metabolism of Alcohol

Alcohol passes through the esophagus to the gastric mucosa where 20% of the alcohol is absorbed, and the rest reaches the small intestine where it is absorbed, and enters the lung. The lung sends ADH(ethanol dehydrogenase) and decomposes the ethanol to leave the poisonous acetaldehyde.The liver sends enzyme ALDH(aldehyde dehydrogenase) and destroys the acetaldehyde. If this poisonous substance is not destroyed and remains in the body, there will be serious side effects.

Digestive Cancer

Alcohol causes a lot of cancer in the digestive system, especially in the liver. 60～90% of liver cancer patients are drinkers. For females, alcohol increases estrogen secretion, making them more susceptible to breast cancer. Other problems caused by the consumption of alcohol are tuberculosis, pneumonia, pancreatitis, diabetes, malnutrition, decreased libido, sexual dysfunction, heart problems such as high blood pressure, arrhythmia, angina pectoris, myocardial infraction, gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding.

3. Risk of Birth Abnormalities

Damage of the Egg and Sperm : Risk of Birth Abnormalities

Women are already born with developing egg cells in their ovaries, exposing the cells to the toxicity of all food, alcohol, and smoking that are consumed. 1㎖ of sperm contains 60 to 80 million sperms, however exposure to alcohol decreases the sperm’s activity and quantity.