[Kim Jaeho's Life Story]<186> The Art of Welcomed Alcohol

The United States has a high prevalence of chronic diseases closely related to poor diet and physical inactivity, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, with more than half of adults suffering from at least one of these conditions. To address this, the U.S. federal government established dietary guidelines in 1980 and has revised and published them every five years. In 1990, a law was enacted to provide a legal basis for these guidelines.

The most recent version, the 2015 guidelines, lists added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, and sodium as foods to be limited as part of a healthy diet. It also recommends limiting alcoholic (ethanol-containing) beverages to no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. Even considering the harmful effects of alcohol on health, these amounts are very small and difficult to adhere to.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol causes 3 million deaths worldwide annually, accounting for 5.3% of all deaths. Alcohol consumption is a major cause of death and physical disability among young people, responsible for 13.5% of deaths in people in their 20s and 30s. Alcohol is linked to over 200 diseases and injuries, harming not only the drinker but also family, friends, colleagues, and strangers, and resulting in enormous economic and social costs.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under WHO, classifies ethanol and alcoholic beverages as Group 1 carcinogens alongside tobacco smoke. Alcohol is a cause of breast cancer, colon cancer, laryngeal cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, and pharyngeal cancer, and it may also be a cause of pancreatic cancer. Beyond these, the negative health impacts of alcohol are so numerous that it is difficult to list them all.

What happens in our bodies when we drink alcoholic beverages? Ethanol, the main component of alcohol, is mostly absorbed within an hour in the stomach and small intestine without the aid of digestive enzymes. About 10% is excreted directly through urine and breath, while the remainder is metabolized primarily in the liver at a rate of about 0.016% blood alcohol concentration per hour, converting it into harmless water and carbon dioxide through several processes?this is alcohol metabolism.

Alcohol metabolism occurs in three stages. Ethanol is first converted to acetaldehyde, then to acetic acid (also called vinegar acid), and finally broken down into three water molecules and two carbon dioxide (CO₂) molecules, completing the metabolism. One gram of ethanol produces 7 kcal of energy. The substances produced during this breakdown, acetaldehyde and acetic acid, are not used by the body at all, which is why ethanol is called "empty calories."

Because the breakdown of ethanol is much slower than its absorption, ethanol remains in the body for several hours until it is fully metabolized, during which time it significantly affects health. Acetaldehyde, which exists briefly during the breakdown process, damages cells and tissues and is a carcinogen.

Why do people like alcohol if it stays in the body until metabolized? Drinking alcohol makes people feel good, reduces stress, and increases sociability because ethanol activates genes in brain cells that produce dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin?neurotransmitters associated with happiness. Dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin are chemicals that make us feel joy, pleasure, and happiness.

Research shows that the pleasurable effects of alcohol peak at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05?0.06%. Beyond this level, positive effects decrease while negative effects increase, causing feelings of depression, blurred vision, slurred speech, and loss of control. At even higher concentrations, temporary memory loss occurs, followed by unconsciousness and potentially death.

Normally, happiness chemicals like dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin are released under special conditions, and people tend to long for the feelings associated with their release. For example, dopamine is released during sports scoring, achieving goals, completing tasks, or performing acts of kindness. Alcohol allows people to experience these feelings without effort, which is why it becomes appealing.

Other substances that stimulate the release of happiness chemicals include cocaine, heroin, morphine, ecstasy, marijuana, and caffeine. While these drugs stimulate neurotransmitter release in brain cells, they are highly addictive and have harmful side effects, so restraint is necessary.

Jaeho Kim, Independent Researcher

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.