Alcohol: Complications of Problem Drinking
Alcohol is a legal drug for adults over 21 years of age. Yet drinking large amounts of alcohol over long periods can cause many medical complications. There is almost no organ system that alcohol does not damage. Alcohol affects how cells function throughout the body and the brain. Some effects of alcohol occur immediately, while others occur only after many years of heavy drinking.
The Liver
The liver is the largest internal organ of the human body and its functions are essential to life. The human liver has a remarkable resilience and capacity to recover after injury or illness. But this is true only up to a certain point. If illness pushes a person's liver beyond its ability to perform, she or he will die.
The liver performs many complex functions and is justly called the laboratory of the human body. Its most important functions include: (1) helping process and store nutrients, including fats, sugars, proteins, and vitamins; (2) producing substances necessary for blood clotting and healthy immune function; (3) filtering and cleansing the blood of various substances that are poisonous if allowed to accumulate; and (4) providing quick bursts of energy when needed.
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