Digestion of alcohol is not like the other food.
Once alcohol is swallowed, a small amount is
absorbed directly by the tongue and mucosal
lining of the mouth. although this amount is
generally insignificant because residual alcohol
leaves the mouth quickly
Alcohol dries the mouth and can even
dehydrate your entire body. The drying effects
of alcohol can result in a white tongue, a condition
that occurs when papillae become inflamed and
bacteria and dead cells become trapped within them
causing a white film to cover the surface of the tongue
After alcohol leaves the mouth, it flows down the
esophagus and into the stomach
If there is no solid food in the stomach
most of the alcohol moves down into the small intestine
and will come into contact with the intestinal walls
more easily and pass quickly into the blood
in this way, All the alcohol of one drink may be
absorbed within 30 minutes.
If one drinks alcohol with food in the stomach
it will be trapped with the food in the stomach
where absorption is not very efficient. it can’t move
into the small intestine immediately, this, slows the
absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream considerably
and the person will become impaired more slowly and
will reach a lower peak alcohol concentration
also, Alcohol increases acid in the stomach
which in alcohol abusers can lead to severe stomach pain
sores in the intestines . This is why it is a good idea to eat a
nice big meal while you are drinking. In fact, The presence
of fatty meals can significantly reduce the peak blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) up to 50% relative to that produced when
alcohol is consumed on an empty stomach
The overwhelming majority of absorption takes place in the
small intestine because of the extremely large surface
area of the small intestine
The cells that line the small intestine are called epithelial cells
These cells are perfect for absorption because they have
fingers- which increases the surface area for absorption
of nutrients and other molecules through the membranes
To be absorbed, alcohol moves across the epithelial cells
through the interstitial space
and into the capillaries
The capillaries are made of endothelial cells
The biological membrane structure allows small
uncharged molecules like ethanol, CO2, and water
to pass directly through the membrane
by the process of diffusion.
Like all internal organs, the stomach and small intestine
are wrapped in a fine network of capillaries
once alcohol crosses the interstitial space,
it is carried by the bloodstream into the veins
where it can then be distributed throughout the cells of
different organs like
liver ,brain , kidney, lungs , skin
and even in the unborn baby!
in the brain, Alcohol directly affects neurotransmitters
which control behavior and thought
It blocks chemical signals between brain cells called neurons
leading to the common immediate symptoms of intoxication
including mood changes and impaired ability to think
impulsive behavior, slurred speech, poor memory,
slowed reflexes and coordinate movement
The effects are directly related to the
amount of alcohol consumed
However, like many drugs, alcohol also stimulates
the release of dopamine in your body
which tricks your body into feeling pleasure and
can in turn make you associate
drinking alcohol with feeling great
The tricky part here, is that the more you drink
alcohol to get that feeling, the less dopamine
your body releases. Over time, you end
up being mentally hooked, forever in search
of that pleasurable feeling you think that alcohol gives you.
This is where addictions take hold.
the main organ that processes alcohol is the liver
The liver weighs is more than three pounds and it is the
largest organ in the body
One of the liver’s main jobs is to get rid of poisons
like alcohol—that enter the body
Without the liver, we could not live.
More than 90 percent of ingested alcohol is metabolized
in the liver at a rate of approximately half an ounce per hour
but the rate varies from person to person
The rate of degradation and clearance in the liver depends on
a variety of genetic and environmental factors
including body size, previous alcohol exposure
food intake and one's general health
While waiting to be degraded, alcohol stays in the blood
and some will be excreted through the breath
(which is how Breathalyzers work)
urine, saliva, and sweat
The liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink
so that it can be removed from the body.
there are mainly two enzymes
alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)
and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)
These enzymes help break apart the alcohol molecule
making it possible to eliminate it from the body
This creates substances that are even more harmful than
alcohol.
Heavy drinking over a period of years can damage
and cause serious liver disease
Males and females differ in their ability
to metabolize alcohol
This difference is due to variations in the amount and
activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH),
the enzyme responsible for metabolizing alcohol
Males have highly active forms of ADH in their stomach
and their liver
The presence of ADH in the stomach of males
can reduce the absorption of alcohol by 30%
Scientists have discovered that women produce smaller
quantities of alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme (ADH)
have almost no ADH in their stomach
In result, females absorb more alcohol into their bloodstream.
Additionally, the ADH in the liver of females is much less
active than the ADH in the male liver
these gender differences in alcohol metabolism
if they both consume the same amount of alcohol
For the same number of drinks
it is easier for females to become intoxicated