Many people enjoy drinking a glass of alcohol every now and then. Some people can’t do without it. There are some serious consequences attached to this action. We’ll look at a few of them.
Have you heard of “beer belly”? Beer belly is a term for the stubborn fat that develops around your belly if you drink too much. This is as a result of alcoholic drinks being calorie dense. That is, there are about 7 calories per gram in every alcohol drink. Added to the sugar content, the calorie count of this drink increases.
When you drink a lot of alcohol, you gain weight easily. A single drink can contain from 50 to several hundred calories depending on what you’re drinking.
Alcohol also causes bloating as a result of irritation that happens in your gastrointestinal tract when you drink. Alcohol is an inflammatory substance that causes swelling in the body. It also causes gas and discomfort. To reduce bloating when you drink, take water before, during and after consuming an alcoholic beverage.
Your face might also be puffy after a night of drinking. The puffiness happens because of dehydration which alcohol causes. Your skin and vital organs try to hold on to as much water as it can thereby leading to puffiness of the face.
As a man, the recommended amount of alcohol you should take a day is 2 drinks. As a woman, you should take 1. Our bodies can only metabolise a certain amount of alcohol per hour. Metabolism rate depends on your age, weight and gender.
Drinking excessively can lead to brain and liver damage. Your risk of getting cancer and being involved in accidents also increase. If you must drink, watch what you eat and exercise regularly to stay healthy.
