UK Doctor Says 'No Drink Is Worth It'

A London-based doctor says “no drink is worth it,” following years of extensively studying the effects of alcohol on the body as well as field experience, in a new report published on The Independent.

“I can assure you that no drink is worth it. Your heart can beat abnormally, your stomach can develop gastric ulcers that can rupture and cause bleeding, your pancreas can fail with diabetes ensuing, and your risk of cancer of the esophagus, tongue, and liver increase,” wrote Dr. Nick Knight, a junior doctor in London, in his column.

“I have barely scratched the surface of the damaging chronic effects of alcohol excess but trust me – it is not a club you want to belong to,” he added. 

Knight traced the journey of alcohol through the body in his write-up. He explained that upon ingestion, the alcohol travels from the lips, to the esophagus, then the stomach, to be further broken down by the stomach’s gastric juices and absorbed by the bloodstream. A vein connecting the stomach and the liver then transports the alcohol to the liver.

The liver further breaks down alcohol into “safe bi-products of acetate, water and carbon dioxide with ruthless efficiency.” If a person had one too many, the alcohol can overwhelm the liver in the process, leading to a surge in blood alcohol levels.

The alcohol then makes its way to the central nervous system “where it depresses activity” and disturbs neurotransmitters, specifically, the Gamma-Aminobutryric Acid (GABA).

“A rising level will have a plethora of effects. However, to give it a fair trial we need to consider both the short and long term. Now if I were the PR rep for alcohol I would highlight that the alcohol in your body (which is currently within safe, recommended limits) is relaxing, aiding social interaction, and even promoting cardiovascular disease prevention,”  Knight said.

But years of alcohol use, especially when tolerance builds and the person drinks unsafe levels of alcohol, could have debilitating effects on the body, Knight said. He said that alcohol’s detrimental effects could be delayed and only manifest in five, 10 or 30 years.

Latest data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that in the United States, 1 out of 10 working adults die from excessive alcohol consumption. 88,000 people die from excessive alcohol use annually, data from the CDC showed.

CDC data also revealed that excessive alcohol use is the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the country,accounting for $223.5 billion in costs from 2006 to 2010.

Those statistics are staggering and will be difficult to curtail as long as alcohol is legal and socially acceptable. I don’t think any of us see that changing soon,” said BioCorRx, Inc. Chief Operating Officer, Brady Grainier. BioCorRx, Inc. BICX is a Santa Ana-based rehabilitation company focused on providing addiction treatment facilities in the United States access to innovative alcoholismtreatments like naltrexone via its Start Fresh Program. Naltrexone is an antagonist drug that prevents alcoholics from experiencing cravings and the a euphoric high or buzz one gets from alcohol consumption.

The company’s Start Fresh Program also incorporates a private, one-on-one life coaching program for alcoholics to help them plan for a life without substance abuse.

Interested parties can learn more about BioCorRx Inc.’s Start Fresh Program by contacting its corporate office at 714-462-4880 or by visiting www.startfreshprogram.com.