17/01/2024
What impact does alcohol have on the liver? 🍷
The liver plays a crucial role in metabolizing and detoxifying substances in the body, and alcohol can have a significant impact on its function.
Of course, small amounts of alcohol every now and then is something that your liver can handle, but when consumption becomes excessive it can lead to various liver-related conditions collectively known as alcoholic liver diseases.
Here’s how it works: ⤵
📌 When you consume alcohol, it is primarily metabolized in the liver.
📌 Alcohol dehydrogenase is the enzyme responsible for breaking down ethanol into acetaldehyde.
📌 Acetaldehyde is then further metabolized into acetate.
📌 Acetate is ultimately converted into carbon dioxide and water.
📌 Both of which are easily eliminated from the body.
However, the process of breaking down alcohol generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress and damage to liver cells.
👎 Formation of Fatty Liver:
Chronic alcohol consumption disrupts the balance of fat metabolism in the liver. The increased production of fatty acids, coupled with a decrease in their export, leads to the accumulation of fat within liver cells, resulting in alcoholic fatty liver disease (steatosis).
👎Inflammation and Alcoholic Hepatitis:
As the liver processes alcohol, inflammation can occur. Inflammation is the body's response to injury, and in the liver, it can lead to the development of alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation, cell damage, and the infiltration of immune cells into the liver).
👎 Activation of Fibrosis and Cirrhosis:
Prolonged inflammation and liver cell damage trigger a wound-healing response in the liver, leading to the activation of hepatic stellate cells and the deposition of collagen, a process known as fibrosis.
Over time, fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis, where there is extensive scarring and distortion of the liver tissue.
Early recognition of the signs of liver damage and intervention, such as abstaining from alcohol, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and seeking medical care, can significantly improve outcomes and prevent further progression of liver disease.
Have questions? Let’s chat in the comments!