• April 23, 2024

After Europe, Latin America is the second region in the world with the highest per capita consumption of alcohol . And our country ranks number 10 in this unfortunate statistic.

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), known as the "Global status report on alcohol and health 2014", Mexico consumes 7.2 liters per capita per year.

Try to avoid it!

1. Damages health irreversibly

Increase the risk of developing more than 200 diseases like cirrhosis and some types of Cancer . It is especially harmful to our liver and also causes diseases of the digestive system and coronary.

As for cancer, our body can transform the alcohol in acetaldehyde, a potent carcinogen. The most common types of neoplasms in frequent drinkers are from the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver. The risks of having cancer increase if the person also uses tobacco.

2. Alcohol makes you fat

The alcoholic drinks They are rich in sugar and other empty calories that do not provide nutrients. In the case of beverages that are mixed with charred and sugary sodas, it becomes a caloric bomb.

Alcohol contains an average of 7 calories per gram. It also causes fluid retention and cellulite. Drinking alcohol is usually associated with the consumption of sweets and relaxation of our diet.

3. Causes deaths indirectly

Its intake may be the cause, for example, of violent acts (in Spain, it is the cause of half of the cases of death due to domestic violence). It can be present in an infinity of accidents, such as work or road accidents, among others (47% of deaths are due to excessive consumption of alcohol and other drugs).

It is even the cause, in many cases, of contagion of AIDS and other sexual diseases. It is shown that people who abuse this substance are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as unprotected sex.

4. Alcohol is bad for the skin

Eliminates the nutrients that generate essential oxygen for our dermis and weakens it against free radicals. In addition, vitamin A reduces what dehydrates, removes flexibility and thickness to the skin.

Oxygen deficiency and vitamin A supply also inhibits the production of collagen and elastin, depleting the firmness and youth of the dermis. Premature aging means that wrinkles and discoloration of the skin occur prematurely. In fact, many drinkers have spots and rosettes visible and similar to the effects of rosacea.

5. Decreases libido and negatively affects sexual activity

Although it is often believed that alcohol is a sexual enhancer due to its disinhibiting effect, it is the opposite. Its high consumption, in many cases, causes erectile dysfunction and can cause infertility.

6. It affects our behavior

Alcohol generates dependency. It can change our character and mood and make us violent. Besides making us look ridiculous on some occasions. It is shown to affect the neuronal connections of the cerebellum, an area on which learning and memory and motor coordination depend.

7. It damages our rest and disturbs sleep

It affects the duration and quality of sleep. Although initially alcohol helps us sleep in the second half of sleep, the alterations increase so we rest less and worse. Rest is more fragmented.

A final piece of information that invites us to reflect: according to the World Health Organization, alcohol, along with tobacco, diet and lack of exercise, constitute the quartet of foreseeable causes of death in the world. The WHO links alcohol with 3.3 million deaths on the planet each year.