The sacred bond of drinking and liver health

Team L&M

It’s not a rare sight to see Keralites patiently waiting in front of alcohol shops. The connection between Keralites and alcohol is inseparable, deeply rooted in cultural practices and social gatherings. Yet, we all know that alcohol is bad for health, especially for liver health. Let’s debunk some common myths and understand the real impact of alcohol on our livers.

A Healthy Liver: The Chocolate of Your Body
Imagine liver as a piece of rich, reddish-brown chocolate. This is how a healthy liver looks. However, when fat starts to deposit in the liver, its color turns yellow. This is the beginning of liver health issues.

Liver Inflammation
When the liver is exposed to harmful substances, such as excessive alcohol, certain medications, or viruses (e.g., hepatitis B and C), it becomes inflamed, causing hepatitis.

Fibrosis
Repeated or continuous liver damage leads to fibrosis, the first stage of liver scarring. In this stage, scar tissue begins to form in the liver, replacing healthy liver cells. While the liver can still function at this stage, the scar tissue gradually causes issues, hampering the liver’s ability to perform its vital functions.

Cirrhosis
As the damage continues, more scar tissue builds up, disrupting the liver’s structure. This advanced scarring is known as cirrhosis. The liver’s ability to function deteriorates significantly, leading to liver failure if not addressed.

Liver Failure
Liver failure occurs when the liver can no longer perform its essential functions. This can be acute (sudden) or chronic (gradual). Chronic liver failure is often the result of long-term damage and can be life-threatening without proper medical intervention, which may include medications, lifestyle changes, or even a liver transplant.

Liver Health and Alcohol

Myth: Drinking in Moderation is Good
This is a common misconception. Every drop of alcohol can damage organs in one way or another. While liver tissues have the ability to repair themselves, tissues in the brain do not. New neuro tissues do not regenerate, making brain damage from alcohol irreversible.

Myth: Beer is Not Problematic
The low alcohol percentage in beer misleads many into thinking it is safe. However, six per cent alcohol in beer equals drinking two large servings of hard liquor. The quantity of alcohol consumed is what matters, not the type of beverage.

Myth: Alcohol Warms You Up in Cold Weather
This is totally wrong. Alcohol makes you feel warmer because it causes blood vessels beneath the skin to expand, bringing more warm blood to the surface. However, this does not actually increase your body temperature. Drinking excessively can numb your senses, making you feel warm even when you are not.

Myth: Liver-Protecting Capsules
Tablets claiming to protect your liver from alcohol damage are mostly ineffective gimmicks. The best way to protect your liver is to reduce or eliminate alcohol intake. Over a hundred products in the market claim to remedy alcohol-induced liver injury. While the Drug Control General of India (DCGI) requires extensive clinical research for medicines, food supplements need minimal research and quick approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Many pseudo alcohol detox medications are marketed as food supplements, misleading consumers into believing they are effective medicines. This misunderstanding poses a significant health hazard, as some herbal remedies can cause more liver injury than alcohol itself.

Alcohol’s Far-Reaching Impact
Alcohol can cause a range of diseases, including:

• Liver diseases: Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
• Cardiovascular diseases: High blood pressure, arrhythmia, and cardiomyopathy.
• Cancer: Increased risk of breast, liver, mouth, and throat cancers.
• Mental health disorders: Depression and anxiety.

Understanding the real impact of alcohol on liver health is crucial, especially in a culture where drinking is celebrated. To assess liver health, screening using Fibroscan is recommended. This non-invasive test measures liver stiffness and helps detect early signs of liver disease, allowing for timely intervention and treatment. By debunking common myths and educating ourselves about the dangers of alcohol, we can make informed decisions to protect our health and well-being.

Information Courtesy:  Dr Harikumar R Nair, Senior Consultant Hepatologist, Ernakulam Medical Center during his speech in the ‘WELCON -Transforming Liver Health’ conducted as part of the 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver (INASL-2024) at Kochi.